HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lafayette County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lafayette County is $1,243 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,243
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,119 to $1,367
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
6th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lafayette moves to $1,255. 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 Lafayette actually rent for?
Search any address in Lafayette 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 | $1,047 | $942 to $1,152 | $41,880 | $20.13/hr | -4.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,053 | $948 to $1,158 | $42,120 | $20.25/hr | -4.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,243 | $1,119 to $1,367 | $49,720 | $23.90/hr | -3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,539 | $1,385 to $1,693 | $61,560 | $29.60/hr | -5.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,646 | $1,481 to $1,811 | $65,840 | $31.65/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 | $1,893 | $1,704 to $2,082 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,140 | $1,926 to $2,354 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,387 | $2,148 to $2,626 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,634 | $2,371 to $2,897 |
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 Lafayette, that runs from $1,047 for a studio up to $1,646 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lafayette 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, Abbeville included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Lafayette ranks 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 48% above the state median of $842 and about 22% above the national median county at $1,018. About 56,172 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,170 in 38601 (Abbeville) and $1,260 in 38655 (Oxford), with the 6 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 Lafayette somewhere between $1,119 and $1,367. 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.
$1,243 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,720 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,119) | HAP at 100% ($1,243) | HAP at 110% ($1,367) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $369 | $493 | $617 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $43 | $167 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2025 ($1,293) to FY 2026 ($1,243). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $662 | $764 | $918 | $1,252 | $1,302 | — |
| FY 2021 | $717 | $781 | $986 | $1,237 | $1,337 | +7.4% |
| FY 2022 | $750 | $822 | $1,026 | $1,268 | $1,391 | +4.1% |
| FY 2023 | $781 | $892 | $1,105 | $1,345 | $1,484 | +7.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,050 | $1,065 | $1,258 | $1,521 | $1,675 | +13.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,093 | $1,099 | $1,293 | $1,628 | $1,714 | +2.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,047 | $1,053 | $1,243 | $1,539 | $1,646 | -3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,011 | $1,017 | $1,255 | $1,502 | $1,649 | +1.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,243 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,047 for a studio, $1,053 for one bedroom, $1,539 for three and $1,646 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 Lafayette actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lafayette for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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