HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana (FY 2026)
$1,217 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Calcasieu Parish, and it's the baseline every voucher in Calcasieu is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,217
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,095 to $1,339
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Louisiana
8th of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Calcasieu moves to $1,231. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Calcasieu actually rent for?
Search any address in Calcasieu 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 | $921 | $829 to $1,013 | $36,840 | $17.71/hr | +5.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $928 | $835 to $1,021 | $37,120 | $17.85/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,217 | $1,095 to $1,339 | $48,680 | $23.40/hr | +6.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,459 | $1,313 to $1,605 | $58,360 | $28.06/hr | +5.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,611 | $1,450 to $1,772 | $64,440 | $30.98/hr | +6.2% |
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 | $1,853 | $1,668 to $2,038 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,094 | $1,885 to $2,303 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,336 | $2,102 to $2,570 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,578 | $2,320 to $2,836 |
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 Calcasieu, that runs from $921 for a studio up to $1,611 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The parish doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Calcasieu in with one other parish in the Lake Charles metro, Cameron Parish among them, and every one of them gets $1,217 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the parish number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Louisiana's 64 counties, Calcasieu ranks 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 29% above the state median of $946 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,018. About 210,770 people live here, 7th in the state.
Counties sharing the Lake Charles metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 70633 (Dequincy) and $1,550 in 70665 (Sulphur), with the 21 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the parish rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the parish rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70601 | Lake Charles | $1,070 | -12.1% |
| 70602 | Lake Charles | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70605 | Lake Charles | $1,520 | +24.9% |
| 70606 | Lake Charles | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70607 | Lake Charles | $1,150 | -5.5% |
| 70609 | Lake Charles | $1,340 | +10.1% |
| 70611 | Lake Charles | $1,350 | +10.9% |
| 70612 | Lake Charles | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70615 | Lake Charles | $1,200 | -1.4% |
| 70616 | Lake Charles | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70629 | Lake Charles | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70630 | Bell City | $1,050 | -13.7% |
| 70633 | Dequincy | $1,030 | -15.4% |
| 70646 | Hayes | $1,030 | -15.4% |
| 70647 | Iowa | $1,210 | -0.6% |
| 70661 | Starks | $1,030 | -15.4% |
| 70663 | Sulphur | $1,070 | -12.1% |
| 70664 | Sulphur | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 70665 | Sulphur | $1,550 | +27.4% |
| 70668 | Vinton | $1,060 | -12.9% |
| 70669 | Westlake | $1,120 | -8.0% |
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 Calcasieu somewhere between $1,095 and $1,339. 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.
$1,217 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,680 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% ($1,095) | HAP at 100% ($1,217) | HAP at 110% ($1,339) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $345 | $467 | $589 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $17 | $139 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,144) to FY 2026 ($1,217). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% a year. The Louisiana median moved down 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $617 | $663 | $837 | $1,063 | $1,245 | — |
| FY 2021 | $650 | $674 | $869 | $1,092 | $1,260 | +3.8% |
| FY 2022 | $660 | $688 | $884 | $1,107 | $1,241 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $756 | $767 | $983 | $1,235 | $1,322 | +11.2% |
| FY 2024 | $835 | $840 | $1,080 | $1,333 | $1,438 | +9.9% |
| FY 2025 | $871 | $877 | $1,144 | $1,383 | $1,517 | +5.9% |
| FY 2026 | $921 | $928 | $1,217 | $1,459 | $1,611 | +6.4% |
| FY 2027 | $935 | $941 | $1,231 | $1,467 | $1,713 | +1.2% |
Nearby counties
Cameron Parish
$1,21727 mi · pop 5,447
Beauregard Parish
$93529 mi · pop 36,553
Jefferson Davis Parish
$87130 mi · pop 32,277
Allen Parish
$83439 mi · pop 22,798
Acadia Parish
$88052 mi · pop 57,674
Evangeline Parish
$83462 mi · pop 32,335
Vernon Parish
$1,04162 mi · pop 48,452
Vermilion Parish
$83468 mi · pop 57,202
Questions people ask
$1,217 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $921 for a studio, $928 for one bedroom, $1,459 for three and $1,611 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 Calcasieu actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Calcasieu for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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