HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Sebastian County, Arkansas (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Sebastian County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $979 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Sebastian keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$979
+4.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$881–$1,077
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$39,160
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
18th of 75
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $741 | $667–$815 | $29,640 | $14.25/hr | +8.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $748 | $673–$823 | $29,920 | $14.38/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $979 | $881–$1,077 | $39,160 | $18.83/hr | +4.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,324 | $1,192–$1,456 | $52,960 | $25.46/hr | +4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,625 | $1,463–$1,788 | $65,000 | $31.25/hr | +6.1% |
Five to eight bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,869 | $1,682–$2,056 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,113 | $1,902–$2,324 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,356 | $2,120–$2,592 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,600 | $2,340–$2,860 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Sebastian actually rent for?
Search any address in Sebastian for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Sebastian somewhere between $881 and $1,077. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$979 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,160 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$881 | Voucher pays at 100%$979 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,077 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $131 | $229 | $327 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2026 ($937) to FY 2027 ($979). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 5.2% a year. The Arkansas median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $498 | $521 | $686 | $950 | $1,121 | — |
| FY 2021 | $551 | $552 | $728 | $1,011 | $1,177 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $559 | $562 | $740 | $1,031 | $1,165 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $601 | $605 | $797 | $1,102 | $1,270 | +7.7% |
| FY 2024 | $674 | $678 | $891 | $1,222 | $1,437 | +11.8% |
| FY 2025 | $689 | $694 | $910 | $1,236 | $1,496 | +2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $683 | $714 | $937 | $1,266 | $1,532 | +3.0% |
| FY 2027In effect | $741 | $748 | $979 | $1,324 | $1,625 | +4.5% |
About this rate
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Sebastian, that runs from $741 for a studio up to $1,625 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Sebastian in with 2 other counties in the Fort Smith metro, Crawford County, Sequoyah County among them, and every one of them gets $979 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Sebastian ranks 18th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $909 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,063. About 128,900 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $920 in 72937 (Hackett) and $1,330 in 72916 (Fort Smith), with the 19 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72901 | Fort Smith | $960 | -1.9% |
| 72902 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72903 | Fort Smith | $1,020 | +4.2% |
| 72904 | Fort Smith | $970 | -0.9% |
| 72905 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72906 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72908 | Fort Smith | $1,020 | +4.2% |
| 72913 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72914 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72916 | Fort Smith | $1,330 | +35.9% |
| 72917 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72918 | Fort Smith | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72919 | Fort Smith | $979County rate | — |
| 72923 | Barling | $1,080 | +10.3% |
| 72936 | Greenwood | $970 | -0.9% |
| 72937 | Hackett | $920 | -6.0% |
| 72938 | Hartford | $970 | -0.9% |
| 72940 | Huntington | $920 | -6.0% |
| 72941 | Lavaca | $990 | +1.1% |
| 72945 | Midland | $1,150 | +17.5% |
Counties sharing the Fort Smith metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $979 two-bedroom figure as Sebastian.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Sebastian.
Crawford County
19 mi · 61,139 people
$979
same rate
Franklin County
28 mi · 17,326 people
$909
-7%
Scott County
36 mi · 9,816 people
$909
-7%
Logan County
40 mi · 21,277 people
$909
-7%
Washington County
51 mi · 256,765 people
$1,256
+28%
Johnson County
53 mi · 26,003 people
$909
-7%
Yell County
58 mi · 20,134 people
$909
-7%
Madison County
59 mi · 17,329 people
$1,256
+28%
Questions people ask
$979 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $741 for a studio, $748 for one bedroom, $1,324 for three and $1,625 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
Payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords
Rent affordability calculator
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Sebastian actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sebastian for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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