HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wilkes County, Georgia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wilkes County is $973 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$973
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$876 to $1,070
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Georgia
158th of 159
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wilkes moves to $1,002. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Wilkes actually rent for?
Search any address in Wilkes 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 | $765 | $689 to $842 | $30,600 | $14.71/hr | +7.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $770 | $693 to $847 | $30,800 | $14.81/hr | +7.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +7.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | +6.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,395 | $1,256 to $1,535 | $55,800 | $26.83/hr | +10.9% |
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 | $1,604 | $1,444 to $1,764 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,814 | $1,633 to $1,995 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,023 | $1,821 to $2,225 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,232 | $2,009 to $2,455 |
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 Wilkes, that runs from $765 for a studio up to $1,395 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wilkes 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, Rayle included.
Among Georgia's 159 counties, Wilkes ranks 158th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% below the state median of $1,074 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 9,610 people live here, 126th 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 30673 (Washington) and $1,110 in 30660 (Rayle), with the 3 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 Wilkes somewhere between $876 and $1,070. 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.
$973 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,920 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% ($876) | HAP at 100% ($973) | HAP at 110% ($1,070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $126 | $223 | $320 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($905) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 6.2% 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 | $511 | $515 | $678 | $863 | $1,040 | — |
| FY 2021 | $508 | $511 | $674 | $888 | $1,014 | -0.6% |
| FY 2022 | $547 | $551 | $725 | $957 | $1,067 | +7.6% |
| FY 2023 | $601 | $605 | $797 | $1,045 | $1,071 | +9.9% |
| FY 2024 | $669 | $674 | $885 | $1,188 | $1,230 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $710 | $715 | $905 | $1,187 | $1,258 | +2.3% |
| FY 2026 | $765 | $770 | $973 | $1,261 | $1,395 | +7.5% |
| FY 2027 | $825 | $920 | $1,002 | $1,194 | $1,446 | +3.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $765 for a studio, $770 for one bedroom, $1,261 for three and $1,395 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 Wilkes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wilkes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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