Rent prices in Alabama (FY2027)
The average FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Alabama is $1,170 a month including utilities — 34% below the U.S. average, ranging from $921 to $1,434 by area. Find your metro below and check what you can afford.
Alabama average Fair Market Rent, FY2027 (rent + utilities)
$1,170/mo 2 bedrooms · ▲ 8.3% vs FY2026
Studio
U.S. $1,379 · 31% below U.S.
$949
1 bedroom
U.S. $1,478 · 32% below U.S.
$1,010
2 bedrooms
U.S. $1,761 · 34% below U.S.
$1,170
3 bedrooms
U.S. $2,266 · 34% below U.S.
$1,500
4 bedrooms
U.S. $2,607 · 34% below U.S.
$1,728
Ranks #42 of 51 (50 states + DC) for 2-bedroom rent. See all states
Metro areas in Alabama
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
1.1M people · 1BR $1,263 · 3BR $1,727
Huntsville, AL
517K people · 1BR $1,177 · 3BR $1,735
Mobile, AL
413K people · 1BR $981 · 3BR $1,474
Montgomery, AL
386K people · 1BR $1,003 · 3BR $1,476
Tuscaloosa, AL
252K people · 1BR $975 · 3BR $1,470
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
247K people · 1BR $1,317 · 3BR $1,855
Auburn-Opelika, AL
181K people · 1BR $1,167 · 3BR $1,548
Decatur, AL
158K people · 1BR $835 · 3BR $1,315
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
154K people · 1BR $834 · 3BR $1,348
Dothan, AL
135K people · 1BR $768 · 3BR $1,291
Anniston-Oxford, AL
116K people · 1BR $801 · 3BR $1,337
Gadsden, AL
103K people · 1BR $830 · 3BR $1,235
Walker County, AL
65K people · 1BR $776 · 3BR $1,314
Columbus, GA-AL
315K people · 1BR $1,053 · 3BR $1,611
Chilton County, AL
46K people · 1BR $793 · 3BR $1,309
Pickens County, AL
19K people · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,133
Macon County, AL
19K people · 1BR $750 · 3BR $1,223
Henry County, AL
18K people · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,105
Greene County, AL
7K people · 1BR $889 · 3BR $1,386
2-bedroom FMR; arrow = change vs FY2026. Sorted by population in Alabama. Tap a metro for studio to 4 bedrooms and the income you need.
Rural counties (non-metro)
Show all 36 non-metro counties (A–Z)
Barbour County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $846 · 3BR $1,255 · 4BR $1,284
Bullock County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $846 · 3BR $1,097 · 4BR $1,368
Butler County, AL
Studio $728 · 1BR $733 · 3BR $1,143 · 4BR $1,369
Chambers County, AL
Studio $760 · 1BR $967 · 3BR $1,401 · 4BR $1,434
Cherokee County, AL
Studio $749 · 1BR $754 · 3BR $1,175 · 4BR $1,464
Choctaw County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $737 · 3BR $1,211 · 4BR $1,368
Clarke County, AL
Studio $699 · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,204 · 4BR $1,476
Clay County, AL
Studio $699 · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Cleburne County, AL
Studio $785 · 1BR $804 · 3BR $1,245 · 4BR $1,320
Coffee County, AL
Studio $834 · 1BR $839 · 3BR $1,520 · 4BR $1,598
Conecuh County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $737 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Coosa County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $737 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Covington County, AL
Studio $714 · 1BR $719 · 3BR $1,181 · 4BR $1,539
Crenshaw County, AL
Studio $699 · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,097 · 4BR $1,210
Cullman County, AL
Studio $785 · 1BR $790 · 3BR $1,356 · 4BR $1,581
Dale County, AL
Studio $665 · 1BR $844 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,539
Dallas County, AL
Studio $718 · 1BR $722 · 3BR $1,301 · 4BR $1,306
DeKalb County, AL
Studio $699 · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,154 · 4BR $1,539
Escambia County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $753 · 3BR $1,129 · 4BR $1,518
Fayette County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $802 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Franklin County, AL
Studio $748 · 1BR $846 · 3BR $1,196 · 4BR $1,210
Jackson County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $728 · 3BR $1,236 · 4BR $1,453
Lamar County, AL
Studio $706 · 1BR $741 · 3BR $1,206 · 4BR $1,210
Marengo County, AL
Studio $812 · 1BR $819 · 3BR $1,219 · 4BR $1,280
Marion County, AL
Studio $641 · 1BR $738 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,539
Marshall County, AL
Studio $702 · 1BR $707 · 3BR $1,281 · 4BR $1,285
Monroe County, AL
Studio $700 · 1BR $704 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,496
Perry County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $737 · 3BR $1,097 · 4BR $1,368
Pike County, AL
Studio $801 · 1BR $806 · 3BR $1,257 · 4BR $1,490
Randolph County, AL
Studio $722 · 1BR $748 · 3BR $1,100 · 4BR $1,245
Sumter County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $788 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Talladega County, AL
Studio $764 · 1BR $799 · 3BR $1,281 · 4BR $1,286
Tallapoosa County, AL
Studio $755 · 1BR $760 · 3BR $1,214 · 4BR $1,587
Washington County, AL
Studio $699 · 1BR $737 · 3BR $1,211 · 4BR $1,539
Wilcox County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $846 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,368
Winston County, AL
Studio $720 · 1BR $802 · 3BR $1,275 · 4BR $1,407
Big number = 2-bedroom FMR. HUD sets a floor: no 2-bedroom FMR may be below the lower of the state’s or the national non-metro median ($1,014 for FY2027).
Rent affordability check
Income needed at the Alabama average
Studio
$949/mo rent + utilities
$37,960/yr
$18.25/hr full-time
1 bedroom
$1,010/mo rent + utilities
$40,400/yr
$19.42/hr full-time
2 bedrooms
$1,170/mo rent + utilities
$46,800/yr
$22.50/hr full-time
3 bedrooms
$1,500/mo rent + utilities
$60,000/yr
$28.85/hr full-time
4 bedrooms
$1,728/mo rent + utilities
$69,120/yr
$33.23/hr full-time
Gross yearly income so that rent plus utilities is 30% of income; hourly = yearly ÷ 2,080 hours.
What a Fair Market Rent is (and is not)
A Fair Market Rent (FMR) is set every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities (except phone, cable and internet) — paid by recent movers into standard-quality, non-luxury rental homes in an area. In other words, about 40% of recently rented units in the area cost less than the FMR and about 60% cost more.
FMRs are not asking rents and not the price of any specific listing. They are built from Census Bureau American Community Survey rents and updated with inflation and trend factors, so they lag the newest listings and smooth out neighborhood differences. HUD uses them to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) payment standards and other program rents. Treat them as a solid, official benchmark for a typical modest rental — new listings in popular neighborhoods often cost more.
Questions & answers
What is the average rent in Alabama?
Using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents, the population-weighted average for a 2-bedroom in Alabama is $1,170 a month including utilities — 34% below the U.S. average of $1,761. A 1-bedroom averages $1,010 and a studio $949.
Where is rent cheapest in Alabama?
The lowest FY2027 2-bedroom FMR in Alabama is $921 in Barbour County, AL; the highest is $1,434 in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL.
How much do I need to earn to rent in Alabama?
At the 30% rule, a 2-bedroom at the state-average FMR of $1,170 needs $46,800 a year in gross income (about $22.50 an hour full-time). A 1-bedroom at $1,010 needs $40,400.
Did rent go up in Alabama this year?
The population-weighted 2-bedroom FMR in Alabama changed +8.3% from FY2026 to FY2027, compared with +1.5% for the U.S.
Is the Fair Market Rent what landlords charge?
Not exactly. It is HUD’s 40th-percentile estimate of rent plus utilities paid by recent movers into standard-quality units — a benchmark for a modest rental. Many listings, especially new or central ones, ask more.
Source: HUD User, FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026; Federal Register notice), compared with FY2026 revised FMRs. HUD data is in the public domain. State and U.S. averages are Tachlis calculations weighted by each county’s population as listed in HUD’s file. HUD may revise FMRs for areas that request a reevaluation.
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