HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in St. Francis County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
$923 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in St. Francis County, and it's the baseline every voucher in St. Francis is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$923
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$831 to $1,015
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
23rd of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in St. Francis moves to $944. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in St. Francis actually rent for?
Search any address in St. Francis for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $661 | $595 to $727 | $26,440 | $12.71/hr | +2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $703 | $633 to $773 | $28,120 | $13.52/hr | +0.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $923 | $831 to $1,015 | $36,920 | $17.75/hr | +3.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,161 | $1,045 to $1,277 | $46,440 | $22.33/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,310 | $1,179 to $1,441 | $52,400 | $25.19/hr | +9.4% |
5 to 8 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 | $1,507 | $1,356 to $1,658 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,703 | $1,533 to $1,873 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,900 | $1,710 to $2,090 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,096 | $1,886 to $2,306 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In St. Francis, that runs from $661 for a studio up to $1,310 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because St. Francis sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Forrest City included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, St. Francis ranks 23rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $880 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 23,138 people live here, 26th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $880 in 72326 (Colt) and $1,060 in 72346 (Heth), with the 10 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.
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 St. Francis somewhere between $831 and $1,015. 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.
$923 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,920 a year. Put another way, $18 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($831) | HAP at 100% ($923) | HAP at 110% ($1,015) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $81 | $173 | $265 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($889) to FY 2026 ($923). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.6% a year. The Arkansas median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $425 | $478 | $630 | $909 | $1,086 | — |
| FY 2021 | $493 | $496 | $654 | $936 | $1,060 | +3.8% |
| FY 2022 | $505 | $508 | $649 | $922 | $1,016 | -0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $571 | $575 | $720 | $1,023 | $1,041 | +10.9% |
| FY 2024 | $618 | $660 | $833 | $1,161 | $1,166 | +15.7% |
| FY 2025 | $648 | $699 | $889 | $1,170 | $1,197 | +6.7% |
| FY 2026 | $661 | $703 | $923 | $1,161 | $1,310 | +3.8% |
| FY 2027 | $671 | $722 | $944 | $1,149 | $1,282 | +2.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$923 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $661 for a studio, $703 for one bedroom, $1,161 for three and $1,310 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the 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
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in St. Francis actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in St. Francis for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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