HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Clarke County, Georgia (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clarke County is $1,285 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,285
-3.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,157–$1,414
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$51,400
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
47th of 159
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 | $1,097 | $987–$1,207 | $43,880 | $21.10/hr | -5.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,103 | $993–$1,213 | $44,120 | $21.21/hr | -6.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,285 | $1,157–$1,414 | $51,400 | $24.71/hr | -3.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,610 | $1,449–$1,771 | $64,400 | $30.96/hr | -7.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,689 | $1,520–$1,858 | $67,560 | $32.48/hr | -7.8% |
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 | $1,942 | $1,748–$2,136 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,196 | $1,976–$2,416 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,449 | $2,204–$2,694 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,702 | $2,432–$2,972 |
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 Clarke actually rent for?
Search any address in Clarke 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 Clarke somewhere between $1,157 and $1,414. 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.
$1,285 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,400 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,157 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,285 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,414 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $407 | $535 | $664 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $85 | $214 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2026 ($1,331) to FY 2027 ($1,285). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Georgia median moved down 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $690 | $723 | $848 | $1,150 | $1,362 | — |
| FY 2021 | $663 | $699 | $815 | $1,104 | $1,281 | -3.9% |
| FY 2022 | $737 | $782 | $899 | $1,204 | $1,409 | +10.3% |
| FY 2023 | $825 | $877 | $995 | $1,335 | $1,517 | +10.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,014 | $1,041 | $1,169 | $1,577 | $1,717 | +17.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,065 | $1,106 | $1,225 | $1,627 | $1,725 | +4.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,159 | $1,183 | $1,331 | $1,734 | $1,831 | +8.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,097 | $1,103 | $1,285 | $1,610 | $1,689 | -3.5% |
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 Clarke, that runs from $1,097 for a studio up to $1,689 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 Clarke in with 3 other counties in the Athens-Clarke County metro, Oconee County, Madison County, Oglethorpe County among them, and every one of them gets $1,285 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 Georgia's 159 counties, Clarke ranks 47th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% above the state median of $1,058 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,063. About 129,609 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 $1,200 in 30607 (Athens) and $1,430 in 30601 (Athens), 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.
Counties sharing the Athens-Clarke County metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,285 two-bedroom figure as Clarke.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Clarke.
Oconee County
9 mi · 43,551 people
$1,285
same rate
Madison County
13 mi · 31,528 people
$1,285
same rate
Oglethorpe County
15 mi · 15,509 people
$1,285
same rate
Jackson County
18 mi · 84,757 people
$1,205
-6%
Barrow County
19 mi · 89,886 people
$1,762
+37%
Morgan County
21 mi · 21,078 people
$1,327
+3%
Walton County
23 mi · 103,313 people
$1,762
+37%
Banks County
29 mi · 19,264 people
$1,002
-22%
Questions people ask
$1,285 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,097 for a studio, $1,103 for one bedroom, $1,610 for three and $1,689 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 Clarke actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clarke for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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