HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hancock County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Hancock County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,140 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Hancock keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,140
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,026 to $1,254
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,600
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
8th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hancock moves to $1,185. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hancock actually rent for?
Search any address in Hancock 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 | $786 | $707 to $865 | $31,440 | $15.12/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $923 | $831 to $1,015 | $36,920 | $17.75/hr | +3.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,140 | $1,026 to $1,254 | $45,600 | $21.92/hr | +2.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,471 | $1,324 to $1,618 | $58,840 | $28.29/hr | +1.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,612 | $1,451 to $1,773 | $64,480 | $31.00/hr | +4.7% |
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 | $1,854 | $1,669 to $2,039 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,096 | $1,886 to $2,306 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,337 | $2,103 to $2,571 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,579 | $2,321 to $2,837 |
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 Hancock, that runs from $786 for a studio up to $1,612 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Hancock in with one other county in the Gulfport-Biloxi metro, Harrison County among them, and every one of them gets $1,140 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Hancock ranks 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 35% above the state median of $842 and about 12% above the national median county at $1,018. About 46,010 people live here, 16th in the state.
Counties sharing the Gulfport-Biloxi metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 39576 (Waveland) and $1,580 in 39525 (Diamondhead), with the 7 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 Hancock somewhere between $1,026 and $1,254. 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.
$1,140 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,600 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,026) | HAP at 100% ($1,140) | HAP at 110% ($1,254) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $276 | $390 | $504 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $54 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,117) to FY 2026 ($1,140). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% a year. The Mississippi median moved down 10% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $688 | $732 | $846 | $1,169 | $1,372 | — |
| FY 2021 | $644 | $701 | $810 | $1,130 | $1,285 | -4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $666 | $735 | $863 | $1,198 | $1,338 | +6.5% |
| FY 2023 | $707 | $780 | $944 | $1,283 | $1,395 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $825 | $923 | $1,151 | $1,525 | $1,626 | +21.9% |
| FY 2025 | $766 | $896 | $1,117 | $1,446 | $1,540 | -3.0% |
| FY 2026 | $786 | $923 | $1,140 | $1,471 | $1,612 | +2.1% |
| FY 2027 | $844 | $982 | $1,185 | $1,525 | $1,723 | +3.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,140 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $786 for a studio, $923 for one bedroom, $1,471 for three and $1,612 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 Hancock actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hancock for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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