HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Madison County, Georgia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Madison County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,285 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Madison keys off that figure.
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
48th 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 Madison actually rent for?
Search any address in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison, 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 Madison in with 3 other counties in the Athens-Clarke County metro, Clarke County, Oconee 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, Madison ranks 48th 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 31,528 people live here, 59th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 6 ZIP codes it covers in Madison, the two-bedroom rate is $1,200 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
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 Madison.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Madison.
Clarke County
13 mi · 129,609 people
$1,285
same rate
Elbert County
16 mi · 19,849 people
$1,013
-21%
Oglethorpe County
17 mi · 15,509 people
$1,285
same rate
Franklin County
18 mi · 24,234 people
$1,032
-20%
Jackson County
22 mi · 84,757 people
$1,205
-6%
Oconee County
22 mi · 43,551 people
$1,285
same rate
Hart County
24 mi · 26,939 people
$1,002
-22%
Banks County
26 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 Madison actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Madison for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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