HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in DeKalb County, Georgia (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in DeKalb County is $1,762 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,762
-3.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,586–$1,938
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$70,480
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
9th 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 | $1,554 | $1,399–$1,709 | $62,160 | $29.88/hr | -2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,619 | $1,457–$1,781 | $64,760 | $31.13/hr | -2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,762 | $1,586–$1,938 | $70,480 | $33.88/hr | -3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,099 | $1,889–$2,309 | $83,960 | $40.37/hr | -3.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,493 | $2,244–$2,742 | $99,720 | $47.94/hr | -4.3% |
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 | $2,867 | $2,580–$3,154 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,241 | $2,917–$3,565 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,615 | $3,254–$3,977 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,989 | $3,590–$4,388 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Atlanta are asking $2,355. HUD says $1,762.
That's 34% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 19 Atlanta ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
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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 DeKalb somewhere between $1,586 and $1,938. 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.
$1,762 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $70,480 a year. Put another way, $34 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%$1,586 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,762 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,938 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $836 | $1,012 | $1,188 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $386 | $562 | $738 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2026 ($1,820) to FY 2027 ($1,762). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% 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 | $996 | $1,025 | $1,167 | $1,489 | $1,824 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,016 | $1,040 | $1,185 | $1,491 | $1,823 | +1.5% |
| FY 2022 | $1,111 | $1,131 | $1,289 | $1,596 | $1,951 | +8.8% |
| FY 2023 | $1,345 | $1,375 | $1,553 | $1,890 | $2,308 | +20.5% |
| FY 2024 | $1,599 | $1,643 | $1,844 | $2,230 | $2,707 | +18.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,591 | $1,653 | $1,830 | $2,205 | $2,653 | -0.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,585 | $1,660 | $1,820 | $2,182 | $2,605 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,554 | $1,619 | $1,762 | $2,099 | $2,493 | -3.2% |
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 DeKalb, that runs from $1,554 for a studio up to $2,493 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 DeKalb in with 23 other counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County among them, and every one of them gets $1,762 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, DeKalb ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 67% above the state median of $1,058 and about 66% above the national median county at $1,063. About 765,351 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 $1,220 in 30002 (Avondale Estates) and $2,390 in 30319 (Atlanta), with the 40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30002 | Avondale Estates | $1,220 | -30.8% |
| 30021 | Clarkston | $1,490 | -15.4% |
| 30030 | Decatur | $2,100 | +19.2% |
| 30031 | Decatur | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30032 | Decatur | $1,490 | -15.4% |
| 30033 | Decatur | $1,930 | +9.5% |
| 30034 | Decatur | $1,580 | -10.3% |
| 30035 | Decatur | $1,700 | -3.5% |
| 30036 | Decatur | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30037 | Decatur | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30038 | Lithonia | $1,710 | -3.0% |
| 30058 | Lithonia | $1,650 | -6.4% |
| 30072 | Pine Lake | $1,470 | -16.6% |
| 30074 | Redan | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30079 | Scottdale | $1,300 | -26.2% |
| 30083 | Stone Mountain | $1,570 | -10.9% |
| 30084 | Tucker | $1,810 | +2.7% |
| 30085 | Tucker | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30086 | Stone Mountain | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30087 | Stone Mountain | $1,910 | +8.4% |
| 30088 | Stone Mountain | $1,620 | -8.1% |
| 30319 | Atlanta | $2,390 | +35.6% |
| 30322 | Atlanta | $2,150 | +22.0% |
| 30329 | Atlanta | $2,130 | +20.9% |
| 30333 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30340 | Atlanta | $1,730 | -1.8% |
| 30341 | Atlanta | $2,130 | +20.9% |
| 30345 | Atlanta | $1,930 | +9.5% |
| 30346 | Atlanta | $2,120 | +20.3% |
| 30350 | Atlanta | $2,050 | +16.3% |
| 30356 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30359 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30360 | Atlanta | $1,800 | +2.2% |
| 30362 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 30366 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 31119 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 31141 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 31145 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 31146 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
| 39901 | Atlanta | $1,770 | +0.5% |
Counties sharing the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,762 two-bedroom figure as DeKalb.
Fulton County
1,076,561 people
$1,762
Gwinnett County
979,864 people
$1,762
Cobb County
775,208 people
$1,762
Clayton County
298,924 people
$1,762
Cherokee County
281,032 people
$1,762
Forsyth County
267,287 people
$1,762
Henry County
249,960 people
$1,762
Paulding County
178,909 people
$1,762
Coweta County
152,852 people
$1,762
Douglas County
147,888 people
$1,762
Carroll County
124,569 people
$1,762
Fayette County
122,244 people
$1,762
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to DeKalb.
Gwinnett County
12 mi · 979,864 people
$1,762
same rate
Fulton County
13 mi · 1,076,561 people
$1,762
same rate
Rockdale County
16 mi · 95,281 people
$1,762
same rate
Clayton County
21 mi · 298,924 people
$1,762
same rate
Cobb County
23 mi · 775,208 people
$1,762
same rate
Henry County
26 mi · 249,960 people
$1,762
same rate
Newton County
28 mi · 118,152 people
$1,762
same rate
Forsyth County
29 mi · 267,287 people
$1,762
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,762 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,554 for a studio, $1,619 for one bedroom, $2,099 for three and $2,493 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 DeKalb actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in DeKalb for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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