HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Stephens County, Georgia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Stephens County is $1,006 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,006
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$905 to $1,107
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
94th of 159
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Stephens moves to $1,002. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Stephens actually rent for?
Search any address in Stephens 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 | $762 | $686 to $838 | $30,480 | $14.65/hr | +5.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $767 | $690 to $844 | $30,680 | $14.75/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,006 | $905 to $1,107 | $40,240 | $19.35/hr | +5.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,275 | $1,148 to $1,403 | $51,000 | $24.52/hr | +8.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,688 | $1,519 to $1,857 | $67,520 | $32.46/hr | +8.6% |
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 | $1,941 | $1,747 to $2,135 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,194 | $1,975 to $2,413 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,448 | $2,203 to $2,693 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,701 | $2,431 to $2,971 |
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 Stephens, that runs from $762 for a studio up to $1,688 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Stephens sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Eastanollee included.
Among Georgia's 159 counties, Stephens ranks 94th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,074 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 26,732 people live here, 71st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 30538 (Eastanollee) and $1,100 in 30557 (Martin), with the 4 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 Stephens somewhere between $905 and $1,107. 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.
$1,006 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,240 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($905) | HAP at 100% ($1,006) | HAP at 110% ($1,107) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $155 | $256 | $357 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($951) to FY 2026 ($1,006). Since FY 2020 it's up 55% in total, about 7.5% 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 | $491 | $494 | $651 | $939 | $1,130 | — |
| FY 2021 | $488 | $492 | $648 | $927 | $1,083 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $539 | $709 | $1,004 | $1,186 | +9.4% |
| FY 2023 | $620 | $624 | $822 | $1,071 | $1,315 | +15.9% |
| FY 2024 | $702 | $707 | $929 | $1,164 | $1,530 | +13.0% |
| FY 2025 | $720 | $725 | $951 | $1,177 | $1,554 | +2.4% |
| FY 2026 | $762 | $767 | $1,006 | $1,275 | $1,688 | +5.8% |
| FY 2027 | $761 | $766 | $1,002 | $1,287 | $1,675 | -0.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,006 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $762 for a studio, $767 for one bedroom, $1,275 for three and $1,688 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 Stephens actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Stephens for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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