HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Pontotoc County, Mississippi (FY 2026)
$932 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Pontotoc County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Pontotoc is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$932
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$839 to $1,025
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Mississippi
25th of 82
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Pontotoc moves to $923. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Pontotoc actually rent for?
Search any address in Pontotoc 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 | $643 | $579 to $707 | $25,720 | $12.37/hr | -5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $850 | $765 to $935 | $34,000 | $16.35/hr | -5.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $932 | $839 to $1,025 | $37,280 | $17.92/hr | -6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,142 | $1,028 to $1,256 | $45,680 | $21.96/hr | -4.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,484 | $1,336 to $1,632 | $59,360 | $28.54/hr | -1.3% |
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 | $1,707 | $1,536 to $1,878 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,929 | $1,736 to $2,122 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,152 | $1,937 to $2,367 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,374 | $2,137 to $2,611 |
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 Pontotoc, that runs from $643 for a studio up to $1,484 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Pontotoc 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, Algoma included.
Among Mississippi's 82 counties, Pontotoc ranks 25th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% above the state median of $842 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 31,202 people live here, 25th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $900 in 38841 (Ecru) and $1,170 in 38863 (Pontotoc), with the 5 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 Pontotoc somewhere between $839 and $1,025. 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.
$932 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,280 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% ($839) | HAP at 100% ($932) | HAP at 110% ($1,025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $89 | $182 | $275 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($991) to FY 2026 ($932). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.7% 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 | $502 | $509 | $670 | $845 | $908 | — |
| FY 2021 | $474 | $519 | $684 | $871 | $995 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $499 | $586 | $705 | $913 | $1,107 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $542 | $678 | $766 | $1,003 | $1,224 | +8.7% |
| FY 2024 | $624 | $820 | $921 | $1,158 | $1,400 | +20.2% |
| FY 2025 | $680 | $895 | $991 | $1,194 | $1,504 | +7.6% |
| FY 2026 | $643 | $850 | $932 | $1,142 | $1,484 | -6.0% |
| FY 2027 | $689 | $848 | $923 | $1,191 | $1,543 | -1.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$932 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $643 for a studio, $850 for one bedroom, $1,142 for three and $1,484 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 Pontotoc actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pontotoc for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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