HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
$939 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lawrence County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lawrence is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$939
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$845 to $1,033
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
59th of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lawrence moves to $1,008. 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 Lawrence actually rent for?
Search any address in Lawrence 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 | $711 | $640 to $782 | $28,440 | $13.67/hr | +1.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $716 | $644 to $788 | $28,640 | $13.77/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $939 | $845 to $1,033 | $37,560 | $18.06/hr | +1.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,126 | $1,013 to $1,239 | $45,040 | $21.65/hr | +0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,243 | $1,119 to $1,367 | $49,720 | $23.90/hr | +0.9% |
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 | $1,429 | $1,286 to $1,572 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,616 | $1,454 to $1,778 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,802 | $1,622 to $1,982 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,989 | $1,790 to $2,188 |
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 Lawrence, that runs from $711 for a studio up to $1,243 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lawrence 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, Ethridge included.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Lawrence ranks 59th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $975 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 44,377 people live here, 35th 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 38469 (Loretto) and $1,330 in 38483 (Summertown), with the 9 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 Lawrence somewhere between $845 and $1,033. 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.
$939 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,560 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% ($845) | HAP at 100% ($939) | HAP at 110% ($1,033) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $95 | $189 | $283 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($929) to FY 2026 ($939). 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 | $499 | $538 | $658 | $863 | $985 | — |
| FY 2021 | $520 | $525 | $671 | $878 | $1,042 | +2.0% |
| FY 2022 | $543 | $547 | $703 | $907 | $1,061 | +4.8% |
| FY 2023 | $582 | $586 | $771 | $974 | $1,084 | +9.7% |
| FY 2024 | $679 | $683 | $898 | $1,102 | $1,196 | +16.5% |
| FY 2025 | $703 | $708 | $929 | $1,119 | $1,232 | +3.5% |
| FY 2026 | $711 | $716 | $939 | $1,126 | $1,243 | +1.1% |
| FY 2027 | $766 | $771 | $1,008 | $1,201 | $1,347 | +7.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$939 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $711 for a studio, $716 for one bedroom, $1,126 for three and $1,243 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 Lawrence actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lawrence for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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