HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lauderdale County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lauderdale County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $906 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lauderdale keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$906
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$815 to $997
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
30th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lauderdale moves to $1,006. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lauderdale actually rent for?
Search any address in Lauderdale 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 | $781 | $703 to $859 | $31,240 | $15.02/hr | -9.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $812 | $731 to $893 | $32,480 | $15.62/hr | -7.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $906 | $815 to $997 | $36,240 | $17.42/hr | -8.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,204 | $1,084 to $1,324 | $48,160 | $23.15/hr | -9.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,265 | $1,139 to $1,392 | $50,600 | $24.33/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $1,455 | $1,310 to $1,601 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,645 | $1,481 to $1,810 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,834 | $1,651 to $2,017 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,024 | $1,822 to $2,226 |
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 Lauderdale, that runs from $781 for a studio up to $1,265 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lauderdale 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, Meridian included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Lauderdale ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $842 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 72,741 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $900 in 39301 (Meridian) and $1,070 in 39309 (Meridian), with the 13 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39301 | Meridian | $900 | -0.7% |
| 39302 | Meridian | $910 | +0.4% |
| 39303 | Meridian | $910 | +0.4% |
| 39304 | Meridian | $910 | +0.4% |
| 39305 | Meridian | $1,000 | +10.4% |
| 39307 | Meridian | $900 | -0.7% |
| 39309 | Meridian | $1,070 | +18.1% |
| 39320 | Bailey | $990 | +9.3% |
| 39325 | Collinsville | $970 | +7.1% |
| 39326 | Daleville | $900 | -0.7% |
| 39335 | Lauderdale | $1,070 | +18.1% |
| 39342 | Marion | $1,030 | +13.7% |
| 39364 | Toomsuba | $1,060 | +17.0% |
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 Lauderdale somewhere between $815 and $997. 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.
$906 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,240 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% ($815) | HAP at 100% ($906) | HAP at 110% ($997) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $65 | $156 | $247 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 9% from FY 2025 ($995) to FY 2026 ($906). Since FY 2020 it's up 19% in total, about 2.9% 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 | $498 | $580 | $764 | $952 | $1,035 | — |
| FY 2021 | $503 | $583 | $762 | $948 | $1,033 | -0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $563 | $618 | $799 | $994 | $1,233 | +4.9% |
| FY 2023 | $649 | $667 | $811 | $1,047 | $1,217 | +1.5% |
| FY 2024 | $803 | $809 | $955 | $1,255 | $1,385 | +17.8% |
| FY 2025 | $859 | $876 | $995 | $1,332 | $1,405 | +4.2% |
| FY 2026 | $781 | $812 | $906 | $1,204 | $1,265 | -8.9% |
| FY 2027 | $877 | $896 | $1,006 | $1,328 | $1,332 | +11.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$906 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $781 for a studio, $812 for one bedroom, $1,204 for three and $1,265 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 Lauderdale actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lauderdale for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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