HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Van Buren County, Tennessee (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Van Buren County is $995 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$995
+7.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$896–$1,095
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$39,800
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
93rd 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 | $756 | $680–$832 | $30,240 | $14.54/hr | +8.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $761 | $685–$837 | $30,440 | $14.63/hr | +7.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $995 | $896–$1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +7.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,195 | $1,076–$1,315 | $47,800 | $22.98/hr | -0.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,365 | $1,229–$1,502 | $54,600 | $26.25/hr | +5.9% |
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 | $1,570 | $1,413–$1,727 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,775 | $1,598–$1,953 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,979 | $1,781–$2,177 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,184 | $1,966–$2,402 |
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 Van Buren actually rent for?
Search any address in Van Buren 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 Van Buren somewhere between $896 and $1,095. 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.
$995 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,800 a year. Put another way, $19 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%$896 | Voucher pays at 100%$995 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,095 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $146 | $245 | $345 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2026 ($925) to FY 2027 ($995). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 6.3% 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 | $492 | $493 | $649 | $809 | $969 | — |
| FY 2021 | $500 | $503 | $663 | $861 | $980 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $533 | $676 | $885 | $979 | +2.0% |
| FY 2023 | $609 | $610 | $747 | $1,015 | $1,051 | +10.5% |
| FY 2024 | $680 | $684 | $861 | $1,163 | $1,209 | +15.3% |
| FY 2025 | $681 | $685 | $899 | $1,200 | $1,259 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,198 | $1,289 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027In effect | $756 | $761 | $995 | $1,195 | $1,365 | +7.6% |
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 Van Buren, that runs from $756 for a studio up to $1,365 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Van Buren 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, Spencer included.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Van Buren ranks 93rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $1,048 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,063. About 6,437 people live here, 94th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the one ZIP code it covers in Van Buren, the two-bedroom rate is $1,000 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38585 | Spencer | $1,000 | +0.5% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Van Buren.
White County
11 mi · 28,160 people
$1,021
+3%
Bledsoe County
14 mi · 15,032 people
$1,086
+9%
Warren County
20 mi · 42,166 people
$1,051
+6%
Sequatchie County
24 mi · 16,809 people
$1,340
+35%
Rhea County
27 mi · 33,992 people
$1,059
+6%
Cumberland County
29 mi · 63,553 people
$1,039
+4%
Grundy County
31 mi · 13,819 people
$995
same rate
Putnam County
31 mi · 82,558 people
$1,102
+11%
Questions people ask
$995 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $756 for a studio, $761 for one bedroom, $1,195 for three and $1,365 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 Van Buren actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Van Buren for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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