HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in East Baton Rouge Parish carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,204 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in East Baton Rouge keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,204
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,084 to $1,324
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Louisiana
11th of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in East Baton Rouge moves to $1,149. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in East Baton Rouge actually rent for?
Search any address in East Baton Rouge 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 | $1,032 | $929 to $1,135 | $41,280 | $19.85/hr | -2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,064 | $958 to $1,170 | $42,560 | $20.46/hr | -1.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,204 | $1,084 to $1,324 | $48,160 | $23.15/hr | -1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,511 | $1,360 to $1,662 | $60,440 | $29.06/hr | -1.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,943 | $1,749 to $2,137 | $77,720 | $37.37/hr | -4.0% |
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 | $2,234 | $2,011 to $2,457 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,526 | $2,273 to $2,779 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,817 | $2,535 to $3,099 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,109 | $2,798 to $3,420 |
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 East Baton Rouge, that runs from $1,032 for a studio up to $1,943 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 East Baton Rouge in with 7 other parishes in the Baton Rouge metro, Livingston Parish, Ascension Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish among them, and every one of them gets $1,204 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, East Baton Rouge ranks 11th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% above the state median of $946 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,018. About 454,369 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the Baton Rouge metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,100 in 70805 (Baton Rouge) and $1,810 in 70801 (Baton Rouge), with the 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70704 | Baker | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70714 | Baker | $1,130 | -6.1% |
| 70739 | Greenwell Springs | $1,710 | +42.0% |
| 70770 | Pride | $1,540 | +27.9% |
| 70791 | Zachary | $1,450 | +20.4% |
| 70801 | Baton Rouge | $1,810 | +50.3% |
| 70802 | Baton Rouge | $1,110 | -7.8% |
| 70803 | Baton Rouge | $1,180 | -2.0% |
| 70804 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70805 | Baton Rouge | $1,100 | -8.6% |
| 70806 | Baton Rouge | $1,250 | +3.8% |
| 70807 | Baton Rouge | $1,100 | -8.6% |
| 70808 | Baton Rouge | $1,350 | +12.1% |
| 70809 | Baton Rouge | $1,430 | +18.8% |
| 70810 | Baton Rouge | $1,420 | +17.9% |
| 70811 | Baton Rouge | $1,100 | -8.6% |
| 70812 | Baton Rouge | $1,300 | +8.0% |
| 70813 | Baton Rouge | $1,100 | -8.6% |
| 70814 | Baton Rouge | $1,150 | -4.5% |
| 70815 | Baton Rouge | $1,100 | -8.6% |
| 70816 | Baton Rouge | $1,220 | +1.3% |
| 70817 | Baton Rouge | $1,410 | +17.1% |
| 70818 | Baton Rouge | $1,350 | +12.1% |
| 70819 | Baton Rouge | $1,170 | -2.8% |
| 70820 | Baton Rouge | $1,110 | -7.8% |
| 70821 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70822 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70823 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70825 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70826 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70827 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70831 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70833 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70835 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70836 | Baton Rouge | $1,500 | +24.6% |
| 70837 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70873 | Baton Rouge | $1,204County rate | — |
| 70874 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70879 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
| 70884 | Baton Rouge | $1,200 | -0.3% |
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 East Baton Rouge somewhere between $1,084 and $1,324. 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.
$1,204 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,160 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% ($1,084) | HAP at 100% ($1,204) | HAP at 110% ($1,324) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $334 | $454 | $574 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $4 | $124 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,222) to FY 2026 ($1,204). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% 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 | $678 | $765 | $894 | $1,145 | $1,429 | — |
| FY 2021 | $794 | $856 | $1,013 | $1,290 | $1,583 | +13.3% |
| FY 2022 | $744 | $781 | $917 | $1,161 | $1,447 | -9.5% |
| FY 2023 | $859 | $876 | $1,005 | $1,266 | $1,644 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,107 | $1,124 | $1,277 | $1,598 | $2,125 | +27.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,063 | $1,081 | $1,222 | $1,528 | $2,023 | -4.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,032 | $1,064 | $1,204 | $1,511 | $1,943 | -1.5% |
| FY 2027 | $992 | $1,014 | $1,149 | $1,456 | $1,842 | -4.6% |
Nearby counties
West Baton Rouge Parish
$1,20412 mi · pop 27,377
Iberville Parish
$86616 mi · pop 30,210
Livingston Parish
$1,20419 mi · pop 143,425
Ascension Parish
$1,20422 mi · pop 126,973
East Feliciana Parish
$1,20425 mi · pop 19,452
Pointe Coupee Parish
$1,20428 mi · pop 20,652
St. Helena Parish
$1,20429 mi · pop 10,872
Assumption Parish
$96737 mi · pop 21,067
Questions people ask
$1,204 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,032 for a studio, $1,064 for one bedroom, $1,511 for three and $1,943 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 East Baton Rouge actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in East Baton Rouge for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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