HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lowndes County, Georgia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lowndes County is $1,192 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,192
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,073 to $1,311
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
56th of 159
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lowndes moves to $1,179. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lowndes actually rent for?
Search any address in Lowndes 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 | $915 | $824 to $1,007 | $36,600 | $17.60/hr | +4.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $921 | $829 to $1,013 | $36,840 | $17.71/hr | +4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,192 | $1,073 to $1,311 | $47,680 | $22.92/hr | +4.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,583 | $1,425 to $1,741 | $63,320 | $30.44/hr | +3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,915 | $1,724 to $2,107 | $76,600 | $36.83/hr | +8.0% |
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 | $2,202 | $1,982 to $2,422 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,490 | $2,241 to $2,739 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,777 | $2,499 to $3,055 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,064 | $2,758 to $3,370 |
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 Lowndes, that runs from $915 for a studio up to $1,915 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 Lowndes in with 3 other counties in the Valdosta metro, Brooks County, Lanier County, Echols County among them, and every one of them gets $1,192 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, Lowndes ranks 56th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% above the state median of $1,074 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,018. About 118,257 people live here, 22nd in the state.
Counties sharing the Valdosta metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,100 in 31636 (Lake Park) and $1,480 in 31605 (Valdosta), with the 11 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 Lowndes somewhere between $1,073 and $1,311. 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.
$1,192 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,680 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,073) | HAP at 100% ($1,192) | HAP at 110% ($1,311) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $323 | $442 | $561 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $111 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,145) to FY 2026 ($1,192). Since FY 2020 it's up 66% in total, about 8.8% 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 | $549 | $552 | $720 | $1,025 | $1,264 | — |
| FY 2021 | $588 | $591 | $770 | $1,086 | $1,333 | +6.9% |
| FY 2022 | $639 | $643 | $833 | $1,159 | $1,376 | +8.2% |
| FY 2023 | $680 | $685 | $895 | $1,219 | $1,411 | +7.4% |
| FY 2024 | $787 | $792 | $1,039 | $1,389 | $1,618 | +16.1% |
| FY 2025 | $877 | $882 | $1,145 | $1,529 | $1,773 | +10.2% |
| FY 2026 | $915 | $921 | $1,192 | $1,583 | $1,915 | +4.1% |
| FY 2027 | $898 | $904 | $1,179 | $1,575 | $1,923 | -1.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,192 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $915 for a studio, $921 for one bedroom, $1,583 for three and $1,915 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 Lowndes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lowndes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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