HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Unicoi County, Tennessee (FY 2026)
$1,132 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Unicoi County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Unicoi is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,132
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,019 to $1,245
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
32nd of 95
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Unicoi moves to $1,211. 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 Unicoi actually rent for?
Search any address in Unicoi 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 | $887 | $798 to $976 | $35,480 | $17.06/hr | -0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $893 | $804 to $982 | $35,720 | $17.17/hr | -0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,132 | $1,019 to $1,245 | $45,280 | $21.77/hr | +1.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,398 | $1,258 to $1,538 | $55,920 | $26.88/hr | +0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,548 | $1,393 to $1,703 | $61,920 | $29.77/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 | $1,780 | $1,602 to $1,958 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,012 | $1,811 to $2,213 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,245 | $2,021 to $2,470 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,477 | $2,229 to $2,725 |
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 Unicoi, that runs from $887 for a studio up to $1,548 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 Unicoi in with 2 other counties in the Johnson City metro, Washington County, Carter County among them, and every one of them gets $1,132 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, Unicoi ranks 32nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% above the state median of $975 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,018. About 17,845 people live here, 71st in the state.
Counties sharing the Johnson City metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 37650 (Erwin) and $1,110 in 37692 (Unicoi), 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 Unicoi somewhere between $1,019 and $1,245. 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.
$1,132 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,280 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,019) | HAP at 100% ($1,132) | HAP at 110% ($1,245) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $269 | $382 | $495 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $45 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,119) to FY 2026 ($1,132). Since FY 2020 it's up 64% in total, about 8.5% 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 | $558 | $564 | $692 | $874 | $1,020 | — |
| FY 2021 | $617 | $621 | $752 | $956 | $1,114 | +8.7% |
| FY 2022 | $609 | $648 | $781 | $997 | $1,182 | +3.9% |
| FY 2023 | $700 | $724 | $875 | $1,107 | $1,299 | +12.0% |
| FY 2024 | $864 | $870 | $1,070 | $1,343 | $1,561 | +22.3% |
| FY 2025 | $890 | $895 | $1,119 | $1,389 | $1,562 | +4.6% |
| FY 2026 | $887 | $893 | $1,132 | $1,398 | $1,548 | +1.2% |
| FY 2027 | $942 | $948 | $1,211 | $1,461 | $1,609 | +7.0% |
Nearby counties
Washington County
$1,13213 mi · pop 133,282
Carter County
$1,13218 mi · pop 56,315
Greene County
$92526 mi · pop 70,399
Sullivan County
$1,04428 mi · pop 158,722
Hawkins County
$1,04436 mi · pop 57,107
Johnson County
$92540 mi · pop 17,982
Cocke County
$92541 mi · pop 36,186
Hamblen County
$1,13547 mi · pop 64,531
Questions people ask
$1,132 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $887 for a studio, $893 for one bedroom, $1,398 for three and $1,548 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 Unicoi actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Unicoi for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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