HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in DeKalb County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in DeKalb County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $953 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in DeKalb keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$953
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$858 to $1,048
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
54th of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in DeKalb moves to $1,016. 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 DeKalb actually rent for?
Search any address in DeKalb 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 | $722 | $650 to $794 | $28,880 | $13.88/hr | +1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $726 | $653 to $799 | $29,040 | $13.96/hr | +1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $953 | $858 to $1,048 | $38,120 | $18.33/hr | +1.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,143 | $1,029 to $1,257 | $45,720 | $21.98/hr | +1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,532 | $1,379 to $1,685 | $61,280 | $29.46/hr | -2.6% |
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 | $1,762 | $1,586 to $1,938 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,992 | $1,793 to $2,191 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,221 | $1,999 to $2,443 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,451 | $2,206 to $2,696 |
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 DeKalb, that runs from $722 for a studio up to $1,532 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because DeKalb 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, Alexandria included.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, DeKalb ranks 54th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% below the state median of $975 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 20,209 people live here, 65th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,160 in 37059 (Dowelltown) and $1,320 in 37012 (Alexandria), 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 DeKalb somewhere between $858 and $1,048. 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.
$953 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,120 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% ($858) | HAP at 100% ($953) | HAP at 110% ($1,048) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $108 | $203 | $298 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($937) to FY 2026 ($953). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.6% 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 | $493 | $649 | $919 | $969 | — |
| FY 2021 | $500 | $503 | $663 | $919 | $980 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $510 | $514 | $676 | $907 | $979 | +2.0% |
| FY 2023 | $565 | $569 | $749 | $968 | $1,078 | +10.8% |
| FY 2024 | $671 | $676 | $888 | $1,074 | $1,507 | +18.6% |
| FY 2025 | $710 | $714 | $937 | $1,129 | $1,573 | +5.5% |
| FY 2026 | $722 | $726 | $953 | $1,143 | $1,532 | +1.7% |
| FY 2027 | $772 | $777 | $1,016 | $1,299 | $1,698 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$953 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $722 for a studio, $726 for one bedroom, $1,143 for three and $1,532 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 DeKalb actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in DeKalb for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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