HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana (FY 2026)
$881 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lincoln Parish, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lincoln is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$881
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$793 to $969
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$35,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Louisiana
39th of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lincoln moves to $892. 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 Lincoln actually rent for?
Search any address in Lincoln 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 | $649 | $584 to $714 | $25,960 | $12.48/hr | -10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $695 | $626 to $765 | $27,800 | $13.37/hr | -10.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | -9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,156 | $1,040 to $1,272 | $46,240 | $22.23/hr | -10.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,440 | $1,296 to $1,584 | $57,600 | $27.69/hr | -9.9% |
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 | $1,656 | $1,490 to $1,822 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,872 | $1,685 to $2,059 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,088 | $1,879 to $2,297 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,304 | $2,074 to $2,534 |
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 Lincoln, that runs from $649 for a studio up to $1,440 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lincoln sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a parish-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the parish, Ruston included.
Among Louisiana's 64 counties, Lincoln ranks 39th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% below the state median of $946 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,018. About 48,323 people live here, 24th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $890 in 71245 (Grambling) and $970 in 71227 (Choudrant), with the 7 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.
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 Lincoln somewhere between $793 and $969. 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.
$881 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $35,240 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($793) | HAP at 100% ($881) | HAP at 110% ($969) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $43 | $131 | $219 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($978) to FY 2026 ($881). Since FY 2020 it's up 15% in total, about 2.4% 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 | $652 | $656 | $764 | $1,085 | $1,089 | — |
| FY 2021 | $587 | $680 | $791 | $1,113 | $1,370 | +3.5% |
| FY 2022 | $593 | $653 | $780 | $1,060 | $1,335 | -1.4% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $663 | $805 | $1,050 | $1,371 | +3.2% |
| FY 2024 | $678 | $727 | $906 | $1,178 | $1,537 | +12.5% |
| FY 2025 | $721 | $772 | $978 | $1,284 | $1,599 | +7.9% |
| FY 2026 | $649 | $695 | $881 | $1,156 | $1,440 | -9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $724 | $754 | $892 | $1,235 | $1,440 | +1.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$881 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $649 for a studio, $695 for one bedroom, $1,156 for three and $1,440 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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