County FMR · HUD FY2026
Dougherty County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dougherty County, GA - 5% above the US average.
- $1,006
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,129
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +5.7%
- YoY change
- +5%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Dougherty is the 69th most expensive of 159 counties in Georgia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,195 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.7% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,195
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #69
- most expensive of 159 in Georgia (2BR)
- -2%
- vs the state average
- $40,240
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (45.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dougherty County, GA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Dougherty County, Georgia at $1,006 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,129/mo and a studio is $966/mo. This is 5% higher than the national average of $959 and 2% below the Georgia average of $1,023.
Rent increased5.7% from FY 2025 ($952), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $40,240/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 49.1% of the 18,324 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 8.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Georgia. Population: 85,038. Population declined 7.8% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Georgia's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DOUGHERTY·COUNTY·GA·GA
Dougherty County, GA: $1,006/mo 1BR · #1195 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA GA
- 1BR-FMR $1,006
- 2BR-FMR $1,129
- RANK-MID #1,195
- YOY-SURGE +5.7%
- VSUS-NEAR +5%
- VS-ST-NEAR -2% GA
- INC-MID 26%
- POP-MID 85K
- PHOTO-NEAR Fulton County
- VOUCH-90-110 $905–$1,107
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fulton ($654 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $926 | $966 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $952 | $1,006 | +$54 (+5.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,080 | $1,129 | +$49 (+4.5%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,461 | $1,534 | +$73 (+5.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,756 | $1,858 | +$102 (+5.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Dougherty 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 Dougherty sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,129 Top 38% higher than 62% 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 Dougherty compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Georgia counties
- Fulton
Fulton County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- Gwinnett
Gwinnett County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- Cobb
Cobb County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- DeKalb
DeKalb County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- Clayton
Clayton County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- Chatham
Chatham County
$1,533 1BR FMR / mo
- Dougherty
Dougherty County
$1,006 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Dougherty is highlighted. Nearby Georgia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Fulton County ($1,660), Gwinnett County ($1,660), Cobb County ($1,660), DeKalb County ($1,660), Clayton County ($1,660), Chatham County ($1,533), Dougherty County (this county) ($1,006).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $1,006/mo compares to Georgia salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | GA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $128,920 | 9.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,800 | 12.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,560 | 13.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,100 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,490 | 19% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,860 | 20.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,570 | 21.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,350 | 21.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,120 | 21.9% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 30.9% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,390 | 31.4% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,130 | 36.4% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,770 | 40.6% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,860 | 43.3% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,310 | 45.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dougherty County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dougherty (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 61.5% overall, from $623 to $1,006. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑5.7% | $966 | $1,006 | $1,129 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.7% | $926 | $952 | $1,080 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.0% | $854 | $860 | $997 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.4% | $735 | $748 | $880 |
| FY 2022 ↑7.0% | $666 | $690 | $810 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.5% | $624 | $645 | $761 |
| FY 2020 | $601 | $623 | $740 |
Part of the Albany, GA Metro Area
Dougherty County is a central county of the Albany, GA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.
Dougherty County ranks #4 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Lee County ($1,006), Worth County ($1,006), Terrell County ($1,006), Dougherty County (this county) ($1,006).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dougherty County, both outside Georgia 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 GA (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside GA).
Nearby Counties in Georgia
Largest counties by population in Georgia
Showing the 8 largest of 158 other counties in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Dougherty County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dougherty County is $1,006 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,129 and a studio is $966.
How does Dougherty County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Dougherty County is 5% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,006 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dougherty County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dougherty County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,129 ranks #1,195 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Dougherty County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $40,240 ($3,353/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dougherty County.
Is rent going up or down in Dougherty County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dougherty County increased by 5.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $952 to $1,006.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dougherty County?
Based on Georgia BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,006/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dougherty County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dougherty County went from $623 in FY 2020 to $1,006 in FY 2026, a total change of +61.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dougherty County?
In Dougherty County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,006/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 Dougherty County?
For Dougherty County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,006/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Dougherty County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 8.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Dougherty County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Dougherty's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,006 implies about $40,240/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Georgia counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Fulton
- See where Dougherty ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.