Blount County, AL: Fair Market Rent 2027 and Income Limits

Official HUD figures for landlords and renters, effective October 1, 2026 (rents) and May 1, 2026 (income limits).

$1,3752-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,2631-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$83,30080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$104,100Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Blount County is $1,375 a month, up 8.6% from $1,266 in FY2026. Blount County belongs to the Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area FMR area, so the same figures apply across that area. FMRs are gross rents: rent plus all tenant-paid utilities except phone, cable and internet.

Fair market rent in Blount County by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$1,177	$1,024	+14.9%	$1,060 – $1,294
1 bedroom	$1,263	$1,155	+9.4%	$1,137 – $1,389
2 bedrooms	$1,375	$1,266	+8.6%	$1,238 – $1,512
3 bedrooms	$1,727	$1,583	+9.1%	$1,555 – $1,899
4 bedrooms	$1,941	$1,801	+7.8%	$1,747 – $2,135

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026) and FY2026 (revised file), details.

What can a landlord charge a Section 8 tenant here?

The FMR is not a cap on what you can ask on the open market. For a Housing Choice Voucher tenant, the local housing authority sets a payment standard, normally between 90% and 110% of the FMR (or of the ZIP-level Small Area FMR where those apply). For a two-bedroom unit in Blount County that is typically $1,238 to $1,512 including utilities. You can charge more than the payment standard if the rent passes the housing authority's rent-reasonableness test and, at move-in, the tenant's share stays within 40% of their adjusted monthly income. Ask the housing authority for its current payment standard schedule.

Can local renters afford the fair market rent?

$35,880median income of renter households

$776Median gross rent, all units

26%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

42%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $35,880 can afford about $897 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,375 is $478 (53.3%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $55,000 a year under the 30% rule, or $49,500 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

Blount County, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$776 ±$37
Median income of renter households	$35,880 ±$10,400
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	42.3% ±5.9
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	20.8% ±6.7
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	3,384

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$667	$776	+16.3%
Median renter household income	$27,201	$35,880	+31.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	44.3%	42.3%	−2.0 pts

Rent-to-income calculator: does an applicant qualify? → · Most affordable counties to rent in this state →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation.

Small Area FMRs by ZIP code (FY2027)

In metro areas HUD also publishes ZIP-level Small Area Fair Market Rents. Housing authorities in designated areas must use them for voucher payment standards; others may opt in. Here the two-bedroom SAFMR ranges from $920 to $2,060 depending on the ZIP code.

All 134 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
35004	$1,490	$1,600	$1,740	$2,190	$2,460
35005	$1,130	$1,210	$1,320	$1,660	$1,860
35006	$790	$840	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35007	$1,320	$1,410	$1,540	$1,930	$2,170
35013	$790	$850	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35016	$730	$810	$920	$1,270	$1,290
35020	$960	$1,030	$1,120	$1,410	$1,580
35021	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35022	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35023	$1,220	$1,300	$1,420	$1,780	$2,000
35031	$830	$890	$970	$1,220	$1,370
35034	$840	$900	$980	$1,230	$1,390
35035	$840	$890	$990	$1,250	$1,420
35036	$1,070	$1,140	$1,250	$1,570	$1,760
35040	$1,500	$1,600	$1,750	$2,200	$2,480
35042	$790	$840	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35043	$1,350	$1,450	$1,580	$1,980	$2,230
35048	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35049	$890	$960	$1,040	$1,310	$1,470
35051	$910	$970	$1,060	$1,330	$1,500
35052	$1,140	$1,220	$1,330	$1,670	$1,870
35054	$1,270	$1,370	$1,490	$1,870	$2,100
35060	$1,050	$1,130	$1,230	$1,540	$1,730
35061	$1,340	$1,440	$1,570	$1,970	$2,220
35062	$740	$810	$920	$1,200	$1,380
35063	$800	$890	$1,070	$1,460	$1,740
35064	$1,130	$1,210	$1,320	$1,660	$1,860
35068	$1,200	$1,290	$1,400	$1,760	$1,980
35071	$1,250	$1,340	$1,460	$1,830	$2,060
35073	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35074	$830	$890	$970	$1,220	$1,370
35077	$730	$810	$960	$1,260	$1,470
35078	$850	$910	$990	$1,240	$1,400
35079	$900	$960	$1,050	$1,320	$1,480
35080	$1,650	$1,770	$1,930	$2,420	$2,720
35091	$940	$1,020	$1,100	$1,390	$1,560
35094	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35097	$1,080	$1,160	$1,260	$1,580	$1,780
35111	$1,090	$1,140	$1,300	$1,630	$1,760
35112	$1,070	$1,150	$1,250	$1,570	$1,760
35114	$1,140	$1,220	$1,330	$1,670	$1,880
35115	$850	$900	$1,020	$1,290	$1,490
35116	$930	$1,000	$1,090	$1,370	$1,540
35117	$1,160	$1,240	$1,350	$1,700	$1,910
35118	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35119	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35120	$1,070	$1,150	$1,250	$1,570	$1,760
35121	$790	$850	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35124	$1,540	$1,650	$1,800	$2,260	$2,540
35125	$1,000	$1,070	$1,170	$1,470	$1,650
35126	$1,330	$1,420	$1,550	$1,950	$2,190
35127	$1,370	$1,470	$1,600	$2,010	$2,260
35128	$1,270	$1,360	$1,480	$1,860	$2,090
35130	$730	$810	$920	$1,230	$1,450
35131	$790	$850	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35133	$980	$1,050	$1,140	$1,440	$1,610
35135	$1,200	$1,290	$1,400	$1,760	$1,980
35143	$800	$850	$930	$1,170	$1,310
35146	$790	$850	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35147	$1,630	$1,750	$1,910	$2,400	$2,700
35148	$810	$920	$1,120	$1,550	$1,870
35160	$740	$780	$950	$1,250	$1,260
35172	$830	$890	$970	$1,220	$1,370
35173	$1,270	$1,360	$1,480	$1,860	$2,090
35176	$910	$970	$1,060	$1,330	$1,500
35178	$900	$960	$1,050	$1,320	$1,480
35180	$890	$960	$1,040	$1,310	$1,470
35181	$1,160	$1,240	$1,350	$1,700	$1,910
35184	$890	$950	$1,040	$1,300	$1,460
35185	$1,360	$1,460	$1,590	$2,000	$2,240
35186	$1,220	$1,300	$1,420	$1,780	$2,000
35188	$950	$1,020	$1,120	$1,400	$1,570
35201	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35202	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35203	$1,070	$1,150	$1,250	$1,570	$1,760
35204	$790	$850	$920	$1,160	$1,300
35205	$1,250	$1,340	$1,460	$1,830	$2,060
35206	$1,020	$1,090	$1,190	$1,490	$1,680
35207	$870	$940	$1,020	$1,280	$1,440
35208	$1,000	$1,070	$1,170	$1,470	$1,650
35209	$1,450	$1,550	$1,690	$2,120	$2,390
35210	$1,150	$1,230	$1,340	$1,680	$1,890
35211	$1,050	$1,130	$1,230	$1,540	$1,740
35212	$890	$960	$1,040	$1,310	$1,470
35213	$1,760	$1,890	$2,060	$2,590	$2,910
35214	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35215	$1,200	$1,290	$1,400	$1,760	$1,980
35216	$1,450	$1,560	$1,700	$2,140	$2,400
35217	$960	$1,030	$1,120	$1,410	$1,580
35218	$950	$1,020	$1,110	$1,390	$1,570
35219	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35220	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35221	$1,030	$1,100	$1,200	$1,510	$1,690
35222	$1,110	$1,190	$1,300	$1,630	$1,840
35223	$1,520	$1,640	$1,780	$2,240	$2,510
35224	$1,040	$1,110	$1,210	$1,520	$1,710
35226	$1,490	$1,600	$1,740	$2,190	$2,460
35228	$1,100	$1,190	$1,290	$1,620	$1,820
35229	$1,450	$1,550	$1,690	$2,120	$2,390
35231	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35232	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35233	$1,600	$1,720	$1,870	$2,350	$2,640
35234	$800	$860	$940	$1,180	$1,330
35235	$1,270	$1,370	$1,490	$1,870	$2,100
35236	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35238	$1,360	$1,460	$1,590	$2,000	$2,240
35242	$1,440	$1,540	$1,680	$2,110	$2,370
35243	$1,570	$1,680	$1,830	$2,300	$2,580
35244	$1,430	$1,530	$1,670	$2,100	$2,360
35249	$1,600	$1,720	$1,870	$2,350	$2,640
35253	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35254	$840	$900	$970	$1,230	$1,380
35255	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35259	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35260	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35261	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35266	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35285	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35293	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35294	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35295	$1,170	$1,260	$1,370	$1,720	$1,930
35444	$1,060	$1,060	$1,270	$1,600	$1,670
35456	$1,020	$1,030	$1,230	$1,550	$1,620
35906	$810	$1,000	$1,170	$1,480	$1,680
35952	$730	$810	$920	$1,160	$1,310
35953	$1,000	$1,070	$1,170	$1,470	$1,650
35957	$730	$810	$920	$1,250	$1,310
35972	$730	$820	$920	$1,160	$1,310
35976	$750	$810	$990	$1,370	$1,380
35980	$760	$810	$980	$1,330	$1,360
35987	$790	$850	$950	$1,170	$1,350
36750	$900	$910	$1,190	$1,500	$1,880
36792	$850	$860	$1,090	$1,380	$1,700
36793	$810	$840	$990	$1,270	$1,440

Source: HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs (effective October 1, 2026).

HUD income limits for Blount County (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $104,100 (FY2025: $95,900, +8.6%). Small figures under each limit show the change from FY2025.

Household size	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people	7 people	8 people
Extremely low income (30%)	$21,900 +8.7%	$25,000 +8.7%	$28,150 +5.6%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$36,450 +8.5%	$41,650 +8.5%	$46,850 +8.4%	$52,050 +8.6%	$56,250 +8.6%	$60,400 +8.5%	$64,550 +8.5%	$68,750 +8.6%
Low income (80%)	$58,350 +8.7%	$66,650 +8.6%	$75,000 +8.6%	$83,300 +8.6%	$90,000 +8.6%	$96,650 +8.6%	$103,300 +8.6%	$110,000 +8.6%

The 30% limit is HUD's “extremely low income” limit: the higher of 30% of median income or the federal poverty guideline, but never above the 50% limit. That is why it can rise faster than 30% of median for larger households. Tax-credit (LIHTC) properties use separate Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.

Source: HUD Section 8 Income Limits FY2026 (effective May 1, 2026) and FY2025, details.