HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Polk County, Tennessee (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk County is $1,270 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,270
+3.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,143–$1,397
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$50,800
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
27th of 95
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $884 | $796–$972 | $35,360 | $17.00/hr | +4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $971 | $874–$1,068 | $38,840 | $18.67/hr | +3.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,270 | $1,143–$1,397 | $50,800 | $24.42/hr | +3.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,593 | $1,434–$1,752 | $63,720 | $30.63/hr | +0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,669 | $1,502–$1,836 | $66,760 | $32.10/hr | +2.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,919 | $1,727–$2,111 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,170 | $1,953–$2,387 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,420 | $2,178–$2,662 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,670 | $2,403–$2,937 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Polk actually rent for?
Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Polk somewhere between $1,143 and $1,397. 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.
$1,270 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,800 a year. Put another way, $24 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,143 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,270 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,397 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $393 | $520 | $647 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $70 | $197 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($1,233) to FY 2027 ($1,270). Since FY 2020 it's up 57% in total, about 6.7% a year. The Tennessee median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $526 | $613 | $807 | $1,029 | $1,214 | — |
| FY 2021 | $536 | $617 | $813 | $1,056 | $1,212 | +0.7% |
| FY 2022 | $570 | $631 | $830 | $1,079 | $1,224 | +2.1% |
| FY 2023 | $661 | $707 | $931 | $1,221 | $1,319 | +12.2% |
| FY 2024 | $789 | $848 | $1,114 | $1,462 | $1,529 | +19.7% |
| FY 2025 | $830 | $922 | $1,210 | $1,579 | $1,604 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $850 | $940 | $1,233 | $1,584 | $1,633 | +1.9% |
| FY 2027In effect | $884 | $971 | $1,270 | $1,593 | $1,669 | +3.0% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Polk, that runs from $884 for a studio up to $1,669 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 Polk in with one other county in the Cleveland metro, Bradley County among them, and every one of them gets $1,270 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, Polk ranks 27th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% above the state median of $1,048 and about 19% above the national median county at $1,063. About 17,898 people live here, 71st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 10 ZIP codes it covers in Polk, the two-bedroom rate is $1,110 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
Counties sharing the Cleveland metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,270 two-bedroom figure as Polk.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Polk.
Bradley County
15 mi · 111,065 people
$1,270
same rate
McMinn County
20 mi · 54,884 people
$995
-22%
Monroe County
27 mi · 47,695 people
$995
-22%
Meigs County
28 mi · 13,343 people
$1,045
-18%
Hamilton County
36 mi · 376,192 people
$1,340
+6%
Rhea County
39 mi · 33,992 people
$1,059
-17%
Loudon County
45 mi · 58,580 people
$1,475
+16%
Sequatchie County
48 mi · 16,809 people
$1,340
+6%
Questions people ask
$1,270 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $884 for a studio, $971 for one bedroom, $1,593 for three and $1,669 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Polk actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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