HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Shelby County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Shelby County is $1,274 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,274
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,147 to $1,401
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
22nd of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Shelby moves to $1,301. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Memphis are asking $1,014. HUD says $1,274.
That's 20% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 20 Memphis 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 | $1,060 | $954 to $1,166 | $42,400 | $20.38/hr | -4.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,154 | $1,039 to $1,269 | $46,160 | $22.19/hr | -4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,274 | $1,147 to $1,401 | $50,960 | $24.50/hr | -6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,683 | $1,515 to $1,851 | $67,320 | $32.37/hr | -5.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,959 | $1,763 to $2,155 | $78,360 | $37.67/hr | -6.1% |
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 | $2,253 | $2,028 to $2,478 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,547 | $2,292 to $2,802 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,841 | $2,557 to $3,125 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,134 | $2,821 to $3,447 |
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 Shelby, that runs from $1,060 for a studio up to $1,959 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 Shelby in with 4 other counties in the Memphis metro, DeSoto County, Tipton County, Crittenden County among them, and every one of them gets $1,274 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, Shelby ranks 22nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 31% above the state median of $975 and about 25% above the national median county at $1,018. About 926,440 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the Memphis 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 38105 (Memphis) and $1,910 in 38103 (Memphis), with the 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37501 | Memphis | $1,274County rate | — |
| 37544 | Memphis | $1,274County rate | — |
| 38002 | Arlington | $1,870 | +46.8% |
| 38014 | Brunswick | $1,274County rate | — |
| 38016 | Cordova | $1,570 | +23.2% |
| 38017 | Collierville | $1,650 | +29.5% |
| 38018 | Cordova | $1,730 | +35.8% |
| 38027 | Collierville | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38028 | Eads | $1,430 | +12.2% |
| 38029 | Ellendale | $1,850 | +45.2% |
| 38053 | Millington | $1,260 | -1.1% |
| 38054 | Millington | $1,260 | -1.1% |
| 38055 | Millington | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38083 | Millington | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38088 | Cordova | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38101 | Memphis | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38103 | Memphis | $1,910 | +49.9% |
| 38104 | Memphis | $1,470 | +15.4% |
| 38105 | Memphis | $1,060 | -16.8% |
| 38106 | Memphis | $1,150 | -9.7% |
| 38107 | Memphis | $1,080 | -15.2% |
| 38108 | Memphis | $1,060 | -16.8% |
| 38109 | Memphis | $1,080 | -15.2% |
| 38111 | Memphis | $1,240 | -2.7% |
| 38112 | Memphis | $1,080 | -15.2% |
| 38113 | Memphis | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38114 | Memphis | $1,090 | -14.4% |
| 38115 | Memphis | $1,360 | +6.8% |
| 38116 | Memphis | $1,250 | -1.9% |
| 38117 | Memphis | $1,470 | +15.4% |
| 38118 | Memphis | $1,230 | -3.5% |
| 38119 | Memphis | $1,450 | +13.8% |
| 38120 | Memphis | $1,600 | +25.6% |
| 38122 | Memphis | $1,240 | -2.7% |
| 38124 | Memphis | $1,280 | +0.5% |
| 38125 | Memphis | $1,550 | +21.7% |
| 38126 | Memphis | $1,060 | -16.8% |
| 38127 | Memphis | $1,190 | -6.6% |
| 38128 | Memphis | $1,350 | +6.0% |
| 38130 | Memphis | $1,280 | +0.5% |
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 Shelby somewhere between $1,147 and $1,401. 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.
$1,274 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,960 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,147) | HAP at 100% ($1,274) | HAP at 110% ($1,401) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $397 | $524 | $651 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $74 | $201 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($1,355) to FY 2026 ($1,274). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 6.3% 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 | $665 | $755 | $884 | $1,203 | $1,374 | — |
| FY 2021 | $686 | $784 | $911 | $1,228 | $1,412 | +3.1% |
| FY 2022 | $694 | $792 | $912 | $1,219 | $1,404 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $800 | $902 | $1,032 | $1,365 | $1,584 | +13.2% |
| FY 2024 | $1,031 | $1,146 | $1,298 | $1,711 | $1,995 | +25.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,105 | $1,207 | $1,355 | $1,781 | $2,086 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,060 | $1,154 | $1,274 | $1,683 | $1,959 | -6.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,095 | $1,191 | $1,301 | $1,717 | $1,981 | +2.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,274 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,060 for a studio, $1,154 for one bedroom, $1,683 for three and $1,959 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 Shelby actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Shelby for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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