West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge Parish is $1,149 a month, down 4.6% from $1,204 in FY2026. West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge 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?

$49,678median income of renter households

$973Median gross rent, all units

24%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

39%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $49,678 can afford about $1,242 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,149 is $93 (7.5%) less 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.

West Baton Rouge Parish, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$973 ±$138
Median income of renter households	$49,678 ±$11,415
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	39.1% ±10.9
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	25.8% ±9.3
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	2,115

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$884	$973	+10.1%
Median renter household income	$37,716	$49,678	+31.7%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	49.8%	39.1%	−10.7 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 West Baton Rouge 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.