HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Leake County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
$955 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Leake County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Leake is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$955
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$860 to $1,051
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
21st of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Leake moves to $1,003. 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 Leake actually rent for?
Search any address in Leake 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 | $803 | $723 to $883 | $32,120 | $15.44/hr | +2.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $808 | $727 to $889 | $32,320 | $15.54/hr | +2.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $955 | $860 to $1,051 | $38,200 | $18.37/hr | -7.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,145 | $1,031 to $1,260 | $45,800 | $22.02/hr | -7.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,264 | $1,138 to $1,390 | $50,560 | $24.31/hr | -8.0% |
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 | $1,454 | $1,309 to $1,599 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,643 | $1,479 to $1,807 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,833 | $1,650 to $2,016 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,022 | $1,820 to $2,224 |
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 Leake, that runs from $803 for a studio up to $1,264 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Leake 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, Carthage included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Leake ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 13% above the state median of $842 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 21,335 people live here, 43rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 39189 (Walnut Grove) and $960 in 39094 (Lena), with the 4 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 Leake somewhere between $860 and $1,051. 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.
$955 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,200 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($860) | HAP at 100% ($955) | HAP at 110% ($1,051) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $110 | $205 | $301 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 7% from FY 2025 ($1,032) to FY 2026 ($955). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $492 | $499 | $657 | $829 | $1,027 | — |
| FY 2021 | $520 | $523 | $684 | $893 | $1,024 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $560 | $563 | $705 | $898 | $1,031 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $578 | $582 | $766 | $932 | $1,065 | +8.7% |
| FY 2024 | $713 | $718 | $935 | $1,131 | $1,284 | +22.1% |
| FY 2025 | $781 | $787 | $1,032 | $1,243 | $1,374 | +10.4% |
| FY 2026 | $803 | $808 | $955 | $1,145 | $1,264 | -7.5% |
| FY 2027 | $843 | $852 | $1,003 | $1,195 | $1,318 | +5.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$955 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $803 for a studio, $808 for one bedroom, $1,145 for three and $1,264 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 Leake actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Leake for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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