HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Benton County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Benton County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $925 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Benton keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$925
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$833 to $1,018
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
62nd of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Benton moves to $995. 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 Benton actually rent for?
Search any address in Benton 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 | $700 | $630 to $770 | $28,000 | $13.46/hr | +2.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $705 | $635 to $776 | $28,200 | $13.56/hr | +2.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,286 | $1,157 to $1,415 | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | +5.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,402 | $1,262 to $1,542 | $56,080 | $26.96/hr | -5.3% |
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 | $1,612 | $1,451 to $1,773 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,823 | $1,641 to $2,005 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,033 | $1,830 to $2,236 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,243 | $2,019 to $2,467 |
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 Benton, that runs from $700 for a studio up to $1,402 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Benton 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, Big Sandy included.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Benton ranks 62nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $975 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 15,933 people live here, 77th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 38221 (Big Sandy) and $960 in 38320 (Camden), 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 Benton somewhere between $833 and $1,018. 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.
$925 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,000 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% ($833) | HAP at 100% ($925) | HAP at 110% ($1,018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $83 | $175 | $268 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($925). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Tennessee median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $492 | $551 | $649 | $856 | $979 | — |
| FY 2021 | $514 | $582 | $663 | $849 | $961 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $547 | $579 | $676 | $836 | $999 | +2.0% |
| FY 2023 | $597 | $601 | $747 | $909 | $1,191 | +10.5% |
| FY 2024 | $651 | $655 | $861 | $1,062 | $1,461 | +15.3% |
| FY 2025 | $681 | $685 | $899 | $1,216 | $1,480 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,286 | $1,402 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $761 | $775 | $995 | $1,378 | $1,401 | +7.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $700 for a studio, $705 for one bedroom, $1,286 for three and $1,402 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 Benton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Benton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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