HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hamilton County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Hamilton County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,390 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Hamilton keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,390
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,251 to $1,529
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$55,600
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
16th of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hamilton moves to $1,340. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Chattanooga are asking $1,331. HUD says $1,390.
That's 4% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 15 Chattanooga ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,211 | $1,090 to $1,332 | $48,440 | $23.29/hr | -1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,263 | $1,137 to $1,389 | $50,520 | $24.29/hr | -1.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,390 | $1,251 to $1,529 | $55,600 | $26.73/hr | -2.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,734 | $1,561 to $1,907 | $69,360 | $33.35/hr | -3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,853 | $1,668 to $2,038 | $74,120 | $35.63/hr | -4.6% |
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 | $2,131 | $1,918 to $2,344 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,409 | $2,168 to $2,650 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,687 | $2,418 to $2,956 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,965 | $2,669 to $3,262 |
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 Hamilton, that runs from $1,211 for a studio up to $1,853 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Hamilton in with 5 other counties in the Chattanooga metro, Walker County, Catoosa County, Marion County among them, and every one of them gets $1,390 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Hamilton ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 43% above the state median of $975 and about 37% above the national median county at $1,018. About 367,193 people live here, 4th in the state.
Counties sharing the Chattanooga metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 37308 (Birchwood) and $1,900 in 37350 (Lookout Mountain), with the 33 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37302 | Apison | $1,310 | -5.8% |
| 37304 | Bakewell | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37308 | Birchwood | $1,060 | -23.7% |
| 37315 | Collegedale | $1,870 | +34.5% |
| 37341 | Harrison | $1,510 | +8.6% |
| 37343 | Hixson | $1,570 | +12.9% |
| 37350 | Lookout Mountain | $1,900 | +36.7% |
| 37351 | Lupton City | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37363 | Ooltewah | $1,870 | +34.5% |
| 37373 | Sale Creek | $1,450 | +4.3% |
| 37377 | Signal Mountain | $1,570 | +12.9% |
| 37379 | Soddy Daisy | $1,260 | -9.4% |
| 37384 | Soddy Daisy | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37401 | Chattanooga | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37402 | Chattanooga | $1,520 | +9.4% |
| 37403 | Chattanooga | $1,650 | +18.7% |
| 37404 | Chattanooga | $1,300 | -6.5% |
| 37405 | Chattanooga | $1,720 | +23.7% |
| 37406 | Chattanooga | $1,200 | -13.7% |
| 37407 | Chattanooga | $1,180 | -15.1% |
| 37408 | Chattanooga | $1,660 | +19.4% |
| 37409 | Chattanooga | $1,450 | +4.3% |
| 37410 | Chattanooga | $1,100 | -20.9% |
| 37411 | Chattanooga | $1,340 | -3.6% |
| 37412 | Chattanooga | $1,390 | 0.0% |
| 37414 | Chattanooga | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37415 | Chattanooga | $1,580 | +13.7% |
| 37416 | Chattanooga | $1,360 | -2.2% |
| 37419 | Chattanooga | $1,260 | -9.4% |
| 37421 | Chattanooga | $1,830 | +31.7% |
| 37422 | Chattanooga | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37424 | Chattanooga | $1,480 | +6.5% |
| 37450 | Chattanooga | $1,480 | +6.5% |
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 Hamilton somewhere between $1,251 and $1,529. 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.
$1,390 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $55,600 a year. Put another way, $27 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% ($1,251) | HAP at 100% ($1,390) | HAP at 110% ($1,529) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $501 | $640 | $779 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $51 | $190 | $329 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($1,426) to FY 2026 ($1,390). Since FY 2020 it's up 67% in total, about 8.9% 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 | $599 | $686 | $832 | $1,081 | $1,305 | — |
| FY 2021 | $636 | $694 | $838 | $1,092 | $1,306 | +0.7% |
| FY 2022 | $721 | $742 | $883 | $1,148 | $1,380 | +5.4% |
| FY 2023 | $910 | $919 | $1,067 | $1,372 | $1,619 | +20.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,068 | $1,085 | $1,232 | $1,569 | $1,784 | +15.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,231 | $1,284 | $1,426 | $1,796 | $1,942 | +15.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,211 | $1,263 | $1,390 | $1,734 | $1,853 | -2.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,181 | $1,231 | $1,340 | $1,657 | $1,761 | -3.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,390 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,211 for a studio, $1,263 for one bedroom, $1,734 for three and $1,853 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 Hamilton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hamilton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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