HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lee County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $994 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$994
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$895 to $1,093
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
16th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lee moves to $1,044. 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 Lee actually rent for?
Search any address in Lee 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 | $847 | $762 to $932 | $33,880 | $16.29/hr | -8.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $852 | $767 to $937 | $34,080 | $16.38/hr | -8.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $994 | $895 to $1,093 | $39,760 | $19.12/hr | -9.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,257 | $1,131 to $1,383 | $50,280 | $24.17/hr | -9.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,316 | $1,184 to $1,448 | $52,640 | $25.31/hr | -9.5% |
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 | $1,513 | $1,362 to $1,664 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,711 | $1,540 to $1,882 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,908 | $1,717 to $2,099 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,106 | $1,895 to $2,317 |
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 Lee, that runs from $847 for a studio up to $1,316 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lee 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, Tupelo included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Lee ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 18% above the state median of $842 and about 2% below the national median county at $1,018. About 83,343 people live here, 7th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 38802 (Tupelo) and $1,100 in 38826 (Belden), with the 12 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 Lee somewhere between $895 and $1,093. 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.
$994 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,760 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($895) | HAP at 100% ($994) | HAP at 110% ($1,093) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $145 | $244 | $343 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 9% from FY 2025 ($1,097) to FY 2026 ($994). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $562 | $566 | $740 | $939 | $1,126 | — |
| FY 2021 | $608 | $612 | $788 | $998 | $1,211 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $630 | $634 | $809 | $1,024 | $1,245 | +2.7% |
| FY 2023 | $722 | $727 | $891 | $1,134 | $1,347 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $853 | $859 | $1,045 | $1,319 | $1,486 | +17.3% |
| FY 2025 | $922 | $928 | $1,097 | $1,382 | $1,454 | +5.0% |
| FY 2026 | $847 | $852 | $994 | $1,257 | $1,316 | -9.4% |
| FY 2027 | $921 | $924 | $1,044 | $1,319 | $1,372 | +5.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$994 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $847 for a studio, $852 for one bedroom, $1,257 for three and $1,316 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 Lee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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