HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Oktibbeha County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $957 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Oktibbeha keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$957
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$861 to $1,053
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
20th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Oktibbeha moves to $1,024. 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 Oktibbeha actually rent for?
Search any address in Oktibbeha 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 | $834 | $751 to $917 | $33,360 | $16.04/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $873 | $786 to $960 | $34,920 | $16.79/hr | -8.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $957 | $861 to $1,053 | $38,280 | $18.40/hr | -9.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,262 | $1,136 to $1,388 | $50,480 | $24.27/hr | -9.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,267 | $1,140 to $1,394 | $50,680 | $24.37/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 | $1,457 | $1,311 to $1,603 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,647 | $1,482 to $1,812 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,837 | $1,653 to $2,021 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,027 | $1,824 to $2,230 |
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 Oktibbeha, that runs from $834 for a studio up to $1,267 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Oktibbeha 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, Starkville included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Oktibbeha ranks 20th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% above the state median of $842 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 51,388 people live here, 15th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 39760 (Starkville) and $1,050 in 39769 (Sturgis), 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 Oktibbeha somewhere between $861 and $1,053. 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.
$957 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,280 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% ($861) | HAP at 100% ($957) | HAP at 110% ($1,053) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $111 | $207 | $303 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($1,061) to FY 2026 ($957). Since FY 2020 it's up 21% in total, about 3.2% 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 | $601 | $691 | $794 | $989 | $1,342 | — |
| FY 2021 | $667 | $707 | $806 | $1,003 | $1,395 | +1.5% |
| FY 2022 | $692 | $722 | $823 | $1,017 | $1,409 | +2.1% |
| FY 2023 | $752 | $785 | $887 | $1,142 | $1,304 | +7.8% |
| FY 2024 | $840 | $889 | $998 | $1,324 | $1,329 | +12.5% |
| FY 2025 | $813 | $958 | $1,061 | $1,401 | $1,407 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $834 | $873 | $957 | $1,262 | $1,267 | -9.8% |
| FY 2027 | $903 | $941 | $1,024 | $1,341 | $1,346 | +7.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$957 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $834 for a studio, $873 for one bedroom, $1,262 for three and $1,267 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 Oktibbeha actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Oktibbeha for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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