HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Houston County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Houston 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 Houston 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
77th of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Houston 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 Houston actually rent for?
Search any address in Houston 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 | $724 | $652 to $796 | $28,960 | $13.92/hr | +0.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $726 | $653 to $799 | $29,040 | $13.96/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,253 | $1,128 to $1,378 | $50,120 | $24.10/hr | +6.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,552 | $1,397 to $1,707 | $62,080 | $29.85/hr | +3.4% |
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 | $1,785 | $1,607 to $1,964 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,018 | $1,816 to $2,220 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,250 | $2,025 to $2,475 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,483 | $2,235 to $2,731 |
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 Houston, that runs from $724 for a studio up to $1,552 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Houston 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, Erin included.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Houston ranks 77th 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 8,253 people live here, 89th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $980 in 37178 (Tennessee Ridge) and $1,110 in 37061 (Erin), with the 3 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 Houston 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 36% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $517 | $557 | $681 | $849 | $923 | — |
| FY 2021 | $539 | $543 | $715 | $889 | $970 | +5.0% |
| FY 2022 | $561 | $565 | $743 | $918 | $1,008 | +3.9% |
| FY 2023 | $619 | $623 | $770 | $937 | $1,034 | +3.6% |
| FY 2024 | $707 | $718 | $861 | $1,067 | $1,297 | +11.8% |
| FY 2025 | $719 | $731 | $899 | $1,177 | $1,501 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $724 | $726 | $925 | $1,253 | $1,552 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $761 | $787 | $995 | $1,363 | $1,636 | +7.6% |
Nearby counties
Stewart County
$1,00413 mi · pop 13,724
Humphreys County
$95520 mi · pop 19,032
Benton County
$92523 mi · pop 15,933
Montgomery County
$1,34624 mi · pop 222,305
Dickson County
$1,73025 mi · pop 54,563
Henry County
$94931 mi · pop 32,305
Hickman County
$99239 mi · pop 24,996
Cheatham County
$1,73040 mi · pop 41,184
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $724 for a studio, $726 for one bedroom, $1,253 for three and $1,552 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 Houston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Houston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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