HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Union County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Union County is $923 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
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
24th of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Union moves to $962. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Union actually rent for?
Search any address in Union 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 | $714 | $643 to $785 | $28,560 | $13.73/hr | +0.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $718 | $646 to $790 | $28,720 | $13.81/hr | +0.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $923 | $831 to $1,015 | $36,920 | $17.75/hr | +2.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,111 | $1,000 to $1,222 | $44,440 | $21.37/hr | -3.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,301 | $1,171 to $1,431 | $52,040 | $25.02/hr | +2.4% |
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 | $1,496 | $1,346 to $1,646 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,691 | $1,522 to $1,860 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,886 | $1,697 to $2,075 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,082 | $1,874 to $2,290 |
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 Union, that runs from $714 for a studio up to $1,301 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Union 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, El Dorado included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Union ranks 24th 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 38,815 people live here, 19th 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 71747 (Huttig) and $990 in 71762 (Smackover), 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 Union 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 2% from FY 2025 ($903) to FY 2026 ($923). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $539 | $555 | $632 | $901 | $1,105 | — |
| FY 2021 | $575 | $589 | $671 | $960 | $1,116 | +6.2% |
| FY 2022 | $586 | $594 | $680 | $966 | $1,035 | +1.3% |
| FY 2023 | $638 | $642 | $764 | $1,068 | $1,095 | +12.4% |
| FY 2024 | $692 | $696 | $864 | $1,158 | $1,219 | +13.1% |
| FY 2025 | $709 | $714 | $903 | $1,146 | $1,270 | +4.5% |
| FY 2026 | $714 | $718 | $923 | $1,111 | $1,301 | +2.2% |
| FY 2027 | $734 | $739 | $962 | $1,146 | $1,349 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$923 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $714 for a studio, $718 for one bedroom, $1,111 for three and $1,301 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 Union actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Union for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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