HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lowndes County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lowndes County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $872 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lowndes keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$872
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$785 to $959
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
33rd of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lowndes moves to $931. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lowndes actually rent for?
Search any address in Lowndes 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 | $738 | $664 to $812 | $29,520 | $14.19/hr | -10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $743 | $669 to $817 | $29,720 | $14.29/hr | -9.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $872 | $785 to $959 | $34,880 | $16.77/hr | -9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,195 | $1,076 to $1,315 | $47,800 | $22.98/hr | -9.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,263 | $1,137 to $1,389 | $50,520 | $24.29/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 | $1,452 | $1,307 to $1,597 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,642 | $1,478 to $1,806 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,831 | $1,648 to $2,014 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,021 | $1,819 to $2,223 |
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 Lowndes, that runs from $738 for a studio up to $1,263 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lowndes 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, Columbus included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Lowndes ranks 33rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% above the state median of $842 and about 14% below the national median county at $1,018. About 58,547 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $880 in 39701 (Columbus) and $1,030 in 39705 (Columbus), with the 10 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 Lowndes somewhere between $785 and $959. 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.
$872 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,880 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% ($785) | HAP at 100% ($872) | HAP at 110% ($959) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $35 | $122 | $209 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($968) to FY 2026 ($872). Since FY 2020 it's up 26% in total, about 3.9% 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 | $518 | $546 | $692 | $984 | $1,215 | — |
| FY 2021 | $572 | $582 | $731 | $1,008 | $1,266 | +5.6% |
| FY 2022 | $593 | $597 | $746 | $1,008 | $1,277 | +2.1% |
| FY 2023 | $644 | $648 | $791 | $1,070 | $1,276 | +6.0% |
| FY 2024 | $749 | $753 | $906 | $1,244 | $1,412 | +14.5% |
| FY 2025 | $820 | $825 | $968 | $1,327 | $1,403 | +6.8% |
| FY 2026 | $738 | $743 | $872 | $1,195 | $1,263 | -9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $798 | $803 | $931 | $1,278 | $1,298 | +6.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$872 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $738 for a studio, $743 for one bedroom, $1,195 for three and $1,263 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 Lowndes actually go for?
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