HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lamar County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
$1,047 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lamar County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lamar is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,047
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$942 to $1,152
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
14th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lamar moves to $1,316. That's up 26%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lamar actually rent for?
Search any address in Lamar 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 | $766 | $689 to $843 | $30,640 | $14.73/hr | -10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $888 | $799 to $977 | $35,520 | $17.08/hr | -6.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,047 | $942 to $1,152 | $41,880 | $20.13/hr | -8.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,348 | $1,213 to $1,483 | $53,920 | $25.92/hr | -7.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,386 | $1,247 to $1,525 | $55,440 | $26.65/hr | -8.5% |
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 | $1,594 | $1,435 to $1,753 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,802 | $1,622 to $1,982 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,010 | $1,809 to $2,211 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,218 | $1,996 to $2,440 |
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 Lamar, that runs from $766 for a studio up to $1,386 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 Lamar in with 2 other counties in the Hattiesburg metro, Forrest County, Perry County among them, and every one of them gets $1,047 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, Lamar ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 24% above the state median of $842 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,018. About 64,425 people live here, 11th in the state.
Counties sharing the Hattiesburg 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 39455 (Lumberton) and $1,040 in 39475 (Purvis), with the 3 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 Lamar somewhere between $942 and $1,152. 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.
$1,047 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,880 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($942) | HAP at 100% ($1,047) | HAP at 110% ($1,152) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $192 | $297 | $402 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2025 ($1,143) to FY 2026 ($1,047). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.1% 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 | $538 | $680 | $825 | $1,069 | $1,195 | — |
| FY 2021 | $564 | $716 | $855 | $1,107 | $1,248 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $577 | $723 | $868 | $1,124 | $1,272 | +1.5% |
| FY 2023 | $660 | $785 | $949 | $1,212 | $1,343 | +9.3% |
| FY 2024 | $766 | $906 | $1,101 | $1,403 | $1,466 | +16.0% |
| FY 2025 | $851 | $952 | $1,143 | $1,456 | $1,515 | +3.8% |
| FY 2026 | $766 | $888 | $1,047 | $1,348 | $1,386 | -8.4% |
| FY 2027 | $916 | $1,117 | $1,316 | $1,676 | $1,730 | +25.7% |
Nearby counties
Forrest County
$1,04714 mi · pop 77,917
Marion County
$86023 mi · pop 24,362
Jefferson Davis County
$84231 mi · pop 11,291
Perry County
$1,04732 mi · pop 11,511
Covington County
$84234 mi · pop 18,323
Stone County
$96934 mi · pop 18,360
Pearl River County
$94937 mi · pop 56,351
Walthall County
$92337 mi · pop 13,888
Questions people ask
$1,047 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $766 for a studio, $888 for one bedroom, $1,348 for three and $1,386 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 Lamar actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lamar for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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