HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Panola County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Panola County is $878 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$878
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$790 to $966
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$35,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
32nd of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Panola moves to $947. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Panola actually rent for?
Search any address in Panola 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 | $605 | $545 to $666 | $24,200 | $11.63/hr | -8.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $743 | $669 to $817 | $29,720 | $14.29/hr | -7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $878 | $790 to $966 | $35,120 | $16.88/hr | -8.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,121 | $1,009 to $1,233 | $44,840 | $21.56/hr | -10.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,455 | $1,310 to $1,601 | $58,200 | $27.98/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 | $1,673 | $1,506 to $1,840 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,892 | $1,703 to $2,081 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,110 | $1,899 to $2,321 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,328 | $2,095 to $2,561 |
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 Panola, that runs from $605 for a studio up to $1,455 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Panola 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, Batesville included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Panola ranks 32nd 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 33,157 people live here, 24th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $870 in 38666 (Sardis) and $1,170 in 38606 (Batesville), with the 7 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 Panola somewhere between $790 and $966. 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.
$878 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $35,120 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% ($790) | HAP at 100% ($878) | HAP at 110% ($966) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $40 | $128 | $216 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 9% from FY 2025 ($964) to FY 2026 ($878). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.8% 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 | $497 | $568 | $664 | $853 | $899 | — |
| FY 2021 | $541 | $579 | $691 | $870 | $955 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $587 | $591 | $726 | $929 | $999 | +5.1% |
| FY 2023 | $625 | $629 | $788 | $1,038 | $1,342 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $620 | $752 | $915 | $1,198 | $1,553 | +16.1% |
| FY 2025 | $661 | $801 | $964 | $1,245 | $1,616 | +5.4% |
| FY 2026 | $605 | $743 | $878 | $1,121 | $1,455 | -8.9% |
| FY 2027 | $659 | $805 | $947 | $1,193 | $1,440 | +7.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$878 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $605 for a studio, $743 for one bedroom, $1,121 for three and $1,455 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 Panola actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Panola for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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