HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sullivan County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sullivan County is $1,044 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,044
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$940 to $1,148
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
38th of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sullivan moves to $1,091. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Sullivan actually rent for?
Search any address in Sullivan 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 | $720 | $648 to $792 | $28,800 | $13.85/hr | -2.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $818 | $736 to $900 | $32,720 | $15.73/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,044 | $940 to $1,148 | $41,760 | $20.08/hr | +0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,338 | $1,204 to $1,472 | $53,520 | $25.73/hr | -0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,464 | $1,318 to $1,610 | $58,560 | $28.15/hr | -4.8% |
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 | $1,684 | $1,516 to $1,852 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,903 | $1,713 to $2,093 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,123 | $1,911 to $2,335 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,342 | $2,108 to $2,576 |
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 Sullivan, that runs from $720 for a studio up to $1,464 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 Sullivan in with 4 other counties in the Kingsport-Bristol metro, Hawkins County, Washington County, Scott County among them, and every one of them gets $1,044 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, Sullivan ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $975 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,018. About 158,722 people live here, 9th in the state.
Counties sharing the Kingsport-Bristol metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 37617 (Blountville) and $1,430 in 37686 (Piney Flats), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37617 | Blountville | $990 | -5.2% |
| 37618 | Bluff City | $1,100 | +5.4% |
| 37620 | Bristol | $1,090 | +4.4% |
| 37621 | Bristol | $1,050 | +0.6% |
| 37625 | Bristol | $1,050 | +0.6% |
| 37660 | Kingsport | $1,100 | +5.4% |
| 37662 | Kingsport | $1,050 | +0.6% |
| 37663 | Kingsport | $1,080 | +3.4% |
| 37664 | Kingsport | $990 | -5.2% |
| 37665 | Kingsport | $1,000 | -4.2% |
| 37669 | Kingsport | $1,050 | +0.6% |
| 37686 | Piney Flats | $1,430 | +37.0% |
| 37699 | Piney Flats | $1,044County rate | — |
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 Sullivan somewhere between $940 and $1,148. 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.
$1,044 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,760 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($940) | HAP at 100% ($1,044) | HAP at 110% ($1,148) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $190 | $294 | $398 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,043) to FY 2026 ($1,044). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $533 | $542 | $714 | $933 | $1,029 | — |
| FY 2021 | $513 | $533 | $701 | $916 | $1,008 | -1.8% |
| FY 2022 | $524 | $546 | $702 | $920 | $1,012 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $583 | $627 | $793 | $1,041 | $1,170 | +13.0% |
| FY 2024 | $677 | $717 | $905 | $1,179 | $1,335 | +14.1% |
| FY 2025 | $738 | $824 | $1,043 | $1,343 | $1,538 | +15.2% |
| FY 2026 | $720 | $818 | $1,044 | $1,338 | $1,464 | +0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $760 | $845 | $1,091 | $1,375 | $1,465 | +4.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,044 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $720 for a studio, $818 for one bedroom, $1,338 for three and $1,464 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 Sullivan actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sullivan for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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