HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lawrence County is $863 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$863
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$777 to $949
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
36th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lawrence moves to $905. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lawrence actually rent for?
Search any address in Lawrence 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 | $653 | $588 to $718 | $26,120 | $12.56/hr | -9.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $657 | $591 to $723 | $26,280 | $12.63/hr | -10.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $863 | $777 to $949 | $34,520 | $16.60/hr | -9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,068 | $961 to $1,175 | $42,720 | $20.54/hr | -7.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,148 | $1,033 to $1,263 | $45,920 | $22.08/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 | $1,320 | $1,188 to $1,452 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,492 | $1,343 to $1,641 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,665 | $1,499 to $1,832 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,837 | $1,653 to $2,021 |
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 Lawrence, that runs from $653 for a studio up to $1,148 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lawrence 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, Newhebron included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Lawrence ranks 36th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% above the state median of $842 and about 15% below the national median county at $1,018. About 11,933 people live here, 64th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $840 in 39654 (Monticello) and $990 in 39140 (Newhebron), 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 Lawrence somewhere between $777 and $949. 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.
$863 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,520 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% ($777) | HAP at 100% ($863) | HAP at 110% ($949) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $27 | $113 | $199 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($958) to FY 2026 ($863). Since FY 2020 it's up 15% in total, about 2.4% 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 | $561 | $593 | $749 | $933 | $1,043 | — |
| FY 2021 | $593 | $665 | $758 | $943 | $1,047 | +1.2% |
| FY 2022 | $650 | $691 | $796 | $984 | $1,095 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $622 | $626 | $824 | $1,003 | $1,120 | +3.5% |
| FY 2024 | $728 | $733 | $963 | $1,164 | $1,300 | +16.9% |
| FY 2025 | $725 | $730 | $958 | $1,154 | $1,275 | -0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $653 | $657 | $863 | $1,068 | $1,148 | -9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $761 | $769 | $905 | $1,185 | $1,189 | +4.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$863 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $653 for a studio, $657 for one bedroom, $1,068 for three and $1,148 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 Lawrence actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lawrence for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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