HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Washington County, Tennessee (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Washington County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,211 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Washington keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,211
+7.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,090–$1,332
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$48,440
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
31st 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 | $942 | $848–$1,036 | $37,680 | $18.12/hr | +6.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $948 | $853–$1,043 | $37,920 | $18.23/hr | +6.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,211 | $1,090–$1,332 | $48,440 | $23.29/hr | +7.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,461 | $1,315–$1,607 | $58,440 | $28.10/hr | +4.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,609 | $1,448–$1,770 | $64,360 | $30.94/hr | +3.9% |
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 | $1,850 | $1,665–$2,035 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,092 | $1,883–$2,301 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,333 | $2,100–$2,566 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,574 | $2,317–$2,831 |
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 Washington actually rent for?
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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 Washington somewhere between $1,090 and $1,332. 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.
$1,211 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,440 a year. Put another way, $23 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%$1,090 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,211 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,332 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $340 | $461 | $582 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $11 | $132 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2026 ($1,132) to FY 2027 ($1,211). Since FY 2020 it's up 75% in total, about 8.3% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $942 | $948 | $1,211 | $1,461 | $1,609 | +7.0% |
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 Washington, that runs from $942 for a studio up to $1,609 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 Washington in with 2 other counties in the Johnson City metro, Carter County, Unicoi County among them, and every one of them gets $1,211 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, Washington ranks 31st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% above the state median of $1,048 and about 14% above the national median county at $1,063. About 136,261 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 37681 (Limestone) and $1,380 in 37659 (Jonesborough), with the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37601 | Johnson City | $1,220 | +0.7% |
| 37602 | Johnson City | $1,280 | +5.7% |
| 37604 | Johnson City | $1,370 | +13.1% |
| 37605 | Johnson City | $1,280 | +5.7% |
| 37614 | Johnson City | $1,370 | +13.1% |
| 37615 | Johnson City | $1,300 | +7.3% |
| 37656 | Fall Branch | $1,130 | -6.7% |
| 37659 | Jonesborough | $1,380 | +14.0% |
| 37681 | Limestone | $1,070 | -11.6% |
| 37684 | Mountain Home | $1,280 | +5.7% |
| 37690 | Telford | $1,240 | +2.4% |
Counties sharing the Johnson City metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,211 two-bedroom figure as Washington.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Washington.
Unicoi County
13 mi · 17,756 people
$1,211
same rate
Carter County
15 mi · 56,712 people
$1,211
same rate
Sullivan County
16 mi · 160,624 people
$1,091
-10%
Greene County
24 mi · 71,628 people
$995
-18%
Hawkins County
27 mi · 57,964 people
$1,091
-10%
Johnson County
37 mi · 18,196 people
$995
-18%
Hancock County
41 mi · 6,852 people
$995
-18%
Hamblen County
44 mi · 65,669 people
$1,153
-5%
Questions people ask
$1,211 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $942 for a studio, $948 for one bedroom, $1,461 for three and $1,609 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 Washington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Washington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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