County FMR · HUD FY2026

Cullman County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Cullman County, AL - 30% below the US average.

$670
1-bedroom FMR
$879
2-bedroom FMR
-3.6%
YoY change
-30%
vs US avg

The verdict

Cullman is the 34th cheapest of 67 counties in Alabama by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #284 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#284
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#34
cheapest of 67 in Alabama (2BR)
-13%
vs the state average
$26,800
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.1%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (35.3%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Cullman County, AL. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Cullman County, Alabama is $670 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $879/mo and a studio is $666/mo. This is 30% lower than the national average of $959 and 13% below the Alabama average of $772.

Rent decreased3.6% from FY 2025 ($695), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $26,800/year.

Observed renter burden: 32.4% of the 8,167 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Alabama. Population: 88,284. Population grew 8.7% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Alabama's statewide growth of +3.9% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area CULLMAN·COUNTY·AL·AL

Cullman County, AL: $670/mo 1BR · #284 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA AL
  • 1BR-FMR $670
  • 2BR-FMR $879
  • RANK-LOW #284
  • YOY-DOWN -3.6%
  • VSUS-LOW -30%
  • VS-ST-LOW -13% AL
  • INC-ROOM 13%
  • POP-MID 88K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $603–$737
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($485 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $716 · US avg: $893
$666/mo
↓ 3.6% YoY -7% vs state -25% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $772 · US avg: $959
$670/mo
↓ 3.6% YoY -13% vs state -30% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $936 · US avg: $1,175
$879/mo
↓ 2.5% YoY -6% vs state -25% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,206 · US avg: $1,525
$1,137/mo
↓ 3.3% YoY -6% vs state -25% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,381 · US avg: $1,756
$1,381/mo
↑ 3.1% YoY +0% vs state -21% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $691
$666
$-25 (-3.6%)
1 Bedroom $695
$670
$-25 (-3.6%)
2 Bedroom $902
$879
$-23 (-2.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,176
$1,137
$-39 (-3.3%)
4 Bedroom $1,340
$1,381
+$41 (+3.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Cullman County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
13.1%
Affordable
Need $26,640/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.2%
Affordable
Need $26,800/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
17.3%
Affordable
Need $35,160/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
22.4%
Affordable
Need $45,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
27.2%
Affordable
Need $55,240/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%17.3%
Cullman County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $60,916 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Alabama rent burden →

Where Cullman sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$879 higher than 9% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Cullman compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Alabama counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Cullman is highlighted. Nearby Alabama counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Baldwin County ($1,200), Jefferson County ($1,155), Madison County ($1,136), Tuscaloosa County ($972), Mobile County ($919), Montgomery County ($870), Cullman County (this county) ($670).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $670/mo, most of these Alabama occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation AL Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $113,020 7.1% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $106,330 7.6% Affordable
Registered Nurses $71,040 11.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $71,070 11.3% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $59,850 13.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $53,850 14.9% Affordable
Electricians $52,420 15.3% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,120 16% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $46,060 17.5% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $37,690 21.3% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $37,730 21.3% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $29,430 27.3% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $29,120 27.6% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $23,490 34.2% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $22,790 35.3% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Alabama) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Cullman County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Cullman (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 27.6% overall, from $525 to $670. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 17.9% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$500$600$700$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $670
Cullman County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓3.6% $666 $670 $879
FY 2025 ↓10.0% $691 $695 $902
FY 2024 ↑17.9% $767 $772 $1,002
FY 2023 ↑7.9% $627 $655 $815
FY 2022 ↑12.2% $559 $607 $747
FY 2021 ↑3.0% $494 $541 $665
FY 2020 $469 $525 $645
Total change (6yr): +27.6%
Annualized: +4.1%/yr
1 BR: $525 → $670

Part of the Cullman, AL Micro Area

Cullman County is a central county of the Cullman, AL micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Cullman County, both outside Alabama so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside AL (FY2026).

Coffey County
KS · 2 BR $879/mo
White County
AR · 2 BR $880/mo
Acadia Parish
LA · 2 BR $880/mo
Mississippi County
AR · 2 BR $880/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside AL).

Pike County
IN · 17.3% of income · 2 BR $956/mo
Decatur County
IN · 17.3% of income · 2 BR $1,071/mo
Columbia County
WI · 17.3% of income · 2 BR $1,195/mo
Parke County
IN · 17.3% of income · 2 BR $964/mo

Nearby Counties in Alabama

Largest counties by population in Alabama

Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Alabama.

Jefferson County
1 BR: $1,155/mo Pop: 672,265
Mobile County
1 BR: $919/mo Pop: 413,878
Madison County
1 BR: $1,136/mo Pop: 389,781
Baldwin County
1 BR: $1,200/mo Pop: 233,420
Tuscaloosa County
1 BR: $972/mo Pop: 231,558
Montgomery County
1 BR: $870/mo Pop: 228,132
Shelby County
1 BR: $1,155/mo Pop: 223,916
Lee County
1 BR: $1,077/mo Pop: 175,126
View all counties in Alabama →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Cullman County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Cullman County is $670 per month. A 2-bedroom is $879 and a studio is $666.
How does Cullman County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Cullman County is 30% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $670 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Cullman County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Cullman County's 2-bedroom FMR of $879 ranks #284 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Cullman County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $26,800 ($2,233/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Cullman County.
Is rent going up or down in Cullman County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cullman County decreased by 3.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $695 to $670.
Which jobs can afford rent in Cullman County? ▼
Based on Alabama BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $670/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Cullman County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cullman County went from $525 in FY 2020 to $670 in FY 2026, a total change of +27.6% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Cullman County? ▼
In Cullman County, the FY 2026 FMR of $670/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Cullman County? ▼
For Cullman County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($670/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.