HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marion County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
$860 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marion County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Marion is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$860
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$774 to $946
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
37th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marion moves to $949. That's up 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Marion actually rent for?
Search any address in Marion 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 | $651 | $586 to $716 | $26,040 | $12.52/hr | -7.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $655 | $590 to $721 | $26,200 | $12.60/hr | -7.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $860 | $774 to $946 | $34,400 | $16.54/hr | -7.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,031 | $928 to $1,134 | $41,240 | $19.83/hr | -8.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,366 | $1,229 to $1,503 | $54,640 | $26.27/hr | -1.4% |
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 | $1,571 | $1,414 to $1,728 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,776 | $1,598 to $1,954 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,981 | $1,783 to $2,179 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,186 | $1,967 to $2,405 |
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 Marion, that runs from $651 for a studio up to $1,366 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marion 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, Columbia included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Marion ranks 37th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% above the state median of $842 and about 16% below the national median county at $1,018. About 24,362 people live here, 39th 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 39478 (Sandy Hook) and $1,050 in 39483 (Foxworth), 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 Marion somewhere between $774 and $946. 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.
$860 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,400 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% ($774) | HAP at 100% ($860) | HAP at 110% ($946) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $24 | $110 | $196 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($860). Since FY 2020 it's up 31% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $520 | $657 | $887 | $890 | — |
| FY 2021 | $552 | $553 | $705 | $877 | $956 | +7.3% |
| FY 2022 | $595 | $639 | $728 | $900 | $987 | +3.3% |
| FY 2023 | $645 | $649 | $781 | $951 | $1,049 | +7.3% |
| FY 2024 | $694 | $698 | $903 | $1,092 | $1,242 | +15.6% |
| FY 2025 | $707 | $711 | $933 | $1,124 | $1,386 | +3.3% |
| FY 2026 | $651 | $655 | $860 | $1,031 | $1,366 | -7.8% |
| FY 2027 | $798 | $807 | $949 | $1,131 | $1,472 | +10.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$860 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $651 for a studio, $655 for one bedroom, $1,031 for three and $1,366 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 Marion actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marion for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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