St. Helena Parish, LA: 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).

$1,1492-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,0141-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$75,60080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$94,500Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in St. Helena Parish is $1,149 a month, down 4.6% from $1,204 in FY2026. St. Helena Parish belongs to the Baton Rouge, LA 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 St. Helena Parish by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$992	$1,032	−3.9%	$893 – $1,091
1 bedroom	$1,014	$1,064	−4.7%	$913 – $1,115
2 bedrooms	$1,149	$1,204	−4.6%	$1,035 – $1,263
3 bedrooms	$1,456	$1,511	−3.6%	$1,311 – $1,601
4 bedrooms	$1,842	$1,943	−5.2%	$1,658 – $2,026

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 St. Helena Parish that is typically $1,035 to $1,263 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?

$35,089median income of renter households (low reliability)

$870Median gross rent, all units

30%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

37%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $35,089 can afford about $877 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,149 is $272 (31.0%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $45,960 a year under the 30% rule, or $41,364 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

St. Helena Parish, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$870 ±$249
Median income of renter households	$35,089 ±$29,360
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	37.4% ±11.9
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	18.4% ±8.2
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	626

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$656	$870	+32.6%
Median renter household income	$42,738	$35,089	−17.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	34.9%	37.4%	+2.5 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 $1,090 to $1,690 depending on the ZIP code.

All 98 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
70346	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70401	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,380	$1,750
70403	$930	$960	$1,130	$1,430	$1,750
70422	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70436	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70441	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70443	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70444	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70449	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70453	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70456	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70462	$930	$960	$1,100	$1,390	$1,750
70466	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70704	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70706	$980	$1,000	$1,130	$1,430	$1,810
70710	$1,050	$1,080	$1,220	$1,550	$1,960
70711	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70712	$1,070	$1,080	$1,270	$1,560	$2,120
70714	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70715	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70718	$1,150	$1,170	$1,330	$1,690	$2,130
70719	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70722	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70725	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70726	$1,040	$1,070	$1,210	$1,530	$1,940
70727	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70728	$1,150	$1,170	$1,330	$1,690	$2,130
70729	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70730	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70732	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70733	$980	$1,010	$1,140	$1,450	$1,840
70734	$1,180	$1,210	$1,370	$1,750	$2,200
70736	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70737	$1,310	$1,340	$1,520	$1,930	$2,440
70739	$1,330	$1,360	$1,540	$1,940	$2,490
70744	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70747	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70748	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70749	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70752	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70753	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70754	$1,040	$1,070	$1,210	$1,530	$1,940
70755	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70756	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70757	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70759	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70760	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70761	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70762	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70764	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70767	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70769	$1,130	$1,160	$1,310	$1,660	$2,100
70770	$1,240	$1,270	$1,440	$1,820	$2,300
70773	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70774	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,370	$1,750
70775	$960	$980	$1,110	$1,410	$1,780
70777	$1,150	$1,170	$1,330	$1,690	$2,130
70778	$1,050	$1,080	$1,220	$1,550	$1,960
70782	$970	$990	$1,130	$1,430	$1,830
70783	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70784	$950	$970	$1,100	$1,390	$1,760
70785	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,370	$1,750
70786	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70787	$960	$980	$1,110	$1,410	$1,780
70789	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70791	$1,230	$1,260	$1,430	$1,810	$2,290
70801	$1,460	$1,490	$1,690	$2,140	$2,710
70802	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70803	$980	$1,000	$1,140	$1,450	$1,830
70804	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70805	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70806	$1,040	$1,060	$1,200	$1,520	$1,920
70807	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70808	$1,120	$1,150	$1,300	$1,650	$2,080
70809	$1,200	$1,230	$1,390	$1,760	$2,230
70810	$1,190	$1,220	$1,380	$1,750	$2,210
70811	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70812	$1,090	$1,110	$1,260	$1,600	$2,020
70813	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70814	$950	$970	$1,100	$1,390	$1,760
70815	$930	$960	$1,090	$1,360	$1,750
70816	$980	$1,010	$1,140	$1,440	$1,830
70817	$1,180	$1,210	$1,370	$1,740	$2,200
70818	$1,170	$1,200	$1,360	$1,720	$2,180
70819	$1,040	$1,070	$1,210	$1,530	$1,940
70820	$940	$960	$1,090	$1,380	$1,750
70821	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70825	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70827	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70835	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70836	$1,290	$1,320	$1,500	$1,900	$2,410
70874	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70879	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70884	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70892	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70895	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70896	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840
70898	$990	$1,010	$1,150	$1,460	$1,840

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

HUD income limits for St. Helena Parish (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $94,500 (FY2025: $91,700, +3.1%). 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%)	$19,850 +3.1%	$22,700 +3.2%	$27,320 +2.5%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$33,100 +3.1%	$37,800 +3.0%	$42,550 +3.0%	$47,250 +3.1%	$51,050 +3.0%	$54,850 +3.1%	$58,600 +3.0%	$62,400 +3.1%
Low income (80%)	$52,950 +3.1%	$60,500 +3.1%	$68,050 +3.0%	$75,600 +3.1%	$81,650 +3.0%	$87,700 +3.1%	$93,750 +3.0%	$99,800 +3.0%

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.