HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ware County, Georgia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ware County is $1,031 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,031
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$928 to $1,134
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
86th of 159
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ware moves to $1,011. 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 Ware actually rent for?
Search any address in Ware 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 | $781 | $703 to $859 | $31,240 | $15.02/hr | +8.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $786 | $707 to $865 | $31,440 | $15.12/hr | +8.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,031 | $928 to $1,134 | $41,240 | $19.83/hr | +8.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,236 | $1,112 to $1,360 | $49,440 | $23.77/hr | +7.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,617 | $1,455 to $1,779 | $64,680 | $31.10/hr | +9.3% |
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 | $1,860 | $1,674 to $2,046 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,102 | $1,892 to $2,312 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,345 | $2,111 to $2,580 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,587 | $2,328 to $2,846 |
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 Ware, that runs from $781 for a studio up to $1,617 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Ware 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, Waycross included.
Among Georgia's 159 counties, Ware ranks 86th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,074 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 35,917 people live here, 53rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 31501 (Waycross) and $1,140 in 31503 (Waycross), with the 6 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 Ware somewhere between $928 and $1,134. 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.
$1,031 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,240 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($928) | HAP at 100% ($1,031) | HAP at 110% ($1,134) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $178 | $281 | $384 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($950) to FY 2026 ($1,031). Since FY 2020 it's up 58% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $424 | $494 | $651 | $917 | $1,053 | — |
| FY 2021 | $492 | $495 | $653 | $864 | $1,043 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $548 | $552 | $726 | $897 | $1,118 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $615 | $619 | $815 | $992 | $1,239 | +12.3% |
| FY 2024 | $701 | $706 | $927 | $1,121 | $1,432 | +13.7% |
| FY 2025 | $719 | $724 | $950 | $1,145 | $1,480 | +2.5% |
| FY 2026 | $781 | $786 | $1,031 | $1,236 | $1,617 | +8.5% |
| FY 2027 | $768 | $773 | $1,011 | $1,205 | $1,564 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,031 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $781 for a studio, $786 for one bedroom, $1,236 for three and $1,617 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 Ware actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ware for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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