HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Dougherty County, Georgia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Dougherty County is $1,129 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,129
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,016 to $1,242
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
65th of 159
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Dougherty moves to $1,103. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Dougherty actually rent for?
Search any address in Dougherty 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 | $966 | $869 to $1,063 | $38,640 | $18.58/hr | +4.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,006 | $905 to $1,107 | $40,240 | $19.35/hr | +5.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,129 | $1,016 to $1,242 | $45,160 | $21.71/hr | +4.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,534 | $1,381 to $1,687 | $61,360 | $29.50/hr | +5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,858 | $1,672 to $2,044 | $74,320 | $35.73/hr | +5.8% |
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 | $2,137 | $1,923 to $2,351 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,415 | $2,174 to $2,657 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,694 | $2,425 to $2,963 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,973 | $2,676 to $3,270 |
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 Dougherty, that runs from $966 for a studio up to $1,858 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 Dougherty in with 3 other counties in the Albany metro, Lee County, Worth County, Terrell County among them, and every one of them gets $1,129 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, Dougherty ranks 65th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,074 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,018. About 85,038 people live here, 29th in the state.
Counties sharing the Albany metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 31704 (Albany) and $1,340 in 31707 (Albany), with the 9 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 Dougherty somewhere between $1,016 and $1,242. 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.
$1,129 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,160 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,016) | HAP at 100% ($1,129) | HAP at 110% ($1,242) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $266 | $379 | $492 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $42 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,080) to FY 2026 ($1,129). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.3% a year. The Georgia median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $601 | $623 | $740 | $965 | $1,077 | — |
| FY 2021 | $624 | $645 | $761 | $985 | $1,136 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $666 | $690 | $810 | $1,050 | $1,273 | +6.4% |
| FY 2023 | $735 | $748 | $880 | $1,153 | $1,402 | +8.6% |
| FY 2024 | $854 | $860 | $997 | $1,328 | $1,620 | +13.3% |
| FY 2025 | $926 | $952 | $1,080 | $1,461 | $1,756 | +8.3% |
| FY 2026 | $966 | $1,006 | $1,129 | $1,534 | $1,858 | +4.5% |
| FY 2027 | $953 | $972 | $1,103 | $1,482 | $1,829 | -2.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,129 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $966 for a studio, $1,006 for one bedroom, $1,534 for three and $1,858 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 Dougherty actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dougherty for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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