County FMR · HUD FY2026
DeSoto County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for DeSoto County, MS - 20% above the US average.
- $1,154
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,274
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -4.4%
- YoY change
- +20%
- vs US avg
The verdict
DeSoto is the 5th most expensive of 82 counties in Mississippi by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #818 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #818
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #5
- most expensive of 82 in Mississippi (2BR)
- +48%
- vs the state average
- $46,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (15.7%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (63.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for DeSoto County, MS. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in DeSoto County, Mississippi is $1,154 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,274/mo and a studio is $1,060/mo. This is 20% higher than the national average of $959 and 48% above the Mississippi average of $782.
Rent decreased4.4% from FY 2025 ($1,207), declining against the trend. A household needs about $46,160/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 42.6% of the 15,393 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 Mississippi. Population: 186,214. Population grew 7.1% 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 Mississippi's statewide growth of -1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DESOTO·COUNTY·MS·MS
DeSoto County, MS: $1,154/mo 1BR · #818 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MS
- 1BR-FMR $1,154
- 2BR-FMR $1,274
- RANK-MID #818
- YOY-DOWN -4.4%
- VSUS-ABOVE +20%
- VS-ST-HIGH +48% MS
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-MID 186K
- PHOTO-NEAR Hinds County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,039–$1,269
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Hinds ($57 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,105 | $1,060 | $-45 (-4.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,207 | $1,154 | $-53 (-4.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,355 | $1,274 | $-81 (-6.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,781 | $1,683 | $-98 (-5.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,086 | $1,959 | $-127 (-6.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in DeSoto County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where DeSoto sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,274 Top 26% higher than 74% of 3,145 counties
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 DeSoto compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Mississippi counties
- DeSoto
DeSoto County
$1,154 1BR FMR / mo
- Hinds
Hinds County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Rankin
Rankin County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Madison
Madison County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Jackson
Jackson County
$951 1BR FMR / mo
- Harrison
Harrison County
$923 1BR FMR / mo
- Lee
Lee County
$852 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows DeSoto is highlighted. Nearby Mississippi counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: DeSoto County (this county) ($1,154), Hinds County ($1,097), Rankin County ($1,097), Madison County ($1,097), Jackson County ($951), Harrison County ($923), Lee County ($852).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,154/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Mississippi BLS wages?
| Occupation | MS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $88,290 | 15.7% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $86,460 | 16% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $74,470 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $64,170 | 21.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $57,300 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,700 | 27.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,440 | 28.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $45,610 | 30.4% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $39,120 | 35.4% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,210 | 36.2% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $35,580 | 38.9% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,810 | 49.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $27,610 | 50.2% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $22,280 | 62.2% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $21,790 | 63.6% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for DeSoto County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for DeSoto (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 52.8% overall, from $755 to $1,154. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 27.1% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓4.4% | $1,060 | $1,154 | $1,274 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.3% | $1,105 | $1,207 | $1,355 |
| FY 2024 ↑27.1% | $1,031 | $1,146 | $1,298 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.9% | $800 | $902 | $1,032 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.0% | $694 | $792 | $912 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.8% | $686 | $784 | $911 |
| FY 2020 | $665 | $755 | $884 |
Part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area
DeSoto County is a central county of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metropolitan statistical area, alongside 8 other metro-area counties.
DeSoto County ranks #5 of 9 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Shelby County ($1,154), Tipton County ($1,154), Crittenden County ($1,154), Fayette County ($1,154), DeSoto County (this county) ($1,154), Tunica County ($1,073), Marshall County ($846), Tate County ($830), Benton County ($768).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for DeSoto County, both outside Mississippi 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 MS (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MS).
Nearby Counties in Mississippi
Largest counties by population in Mississippi
Showing the 8 largest of 81 other counties in Mississippi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in DeSoto County? ▼
How does DeSoto County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does DeSoto County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in DeSoto County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in DeSoto County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in DeSoto County? ▼
How much has rent changed in DeSoto County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in DeSoto County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for DeSoto County? ▼
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.
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.