County FMR · HUD FY2026
Habersham County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Habersham County, GA - 11% below the US average.
- $855
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,018
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +9.2%
- YoY change
- -11%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Habersham is the 70th cheapest of 159 counties in Georgia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,542 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 9.2% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,542
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #70
- cheapest of 159 in Georgia (2BR)
- -16%
- vs the state average
- $34,200
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (39%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Habersham County, GA. Verify with HUD →
Habersham County, Georgia carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $855 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,018/mo and a studio is $850/mo. That's 11% below the national benchmark of $959 and 16% below the Georgia average of $1,023.
Rent increased9.2% from FY 2025 ($783), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,200/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 39.0% of the 4,063 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 4.2%, 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 2.9% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Georgia. Population: 46,326. Population grew 6.0% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's in line with Georgia's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area HABERSHAM·COUNTY·GA·GA
Habersham County, GA: $855/mo 1BR · #1542 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA GA
- 1BR-FMR $855
- 2BR-FMR $1,018
- RANK-MID #1,542
- YOY-SURGE +9.2%
- VSUS-BELOW -11%
- VS-ST-LOW -16% GA
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 46K
- PHOTO-NEAR Fulton County
- VOUCH-90-110 $770–$941
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fulton ($805 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $779 | $850 | +$71 (+9.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $783 | $855 | +$72 (+9.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $919 | $1,018 | +$99 (+10.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,288 | $1,357 | +$69 (+5.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,326 | $1,363 | +$37 (+2.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Habersham 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 Habersham sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,018 higher than 49% 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 Habersham 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
- Habersham
Habersham County
$855 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Habersham 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), Habersham County (this county) ($855).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $855/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 | 8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,800 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,560 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,100 | 12.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,490 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,860 | 17.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,570 | 18.1% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,350 | 18.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,120 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 26.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,390 | 26.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,130 | 31% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,770 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,860 | 36.8% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,310 | 39% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Habersham County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Habersham (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 59.5% overall, from $536 to $855. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +20.7% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑9.2% | $850 | $855 | $1,018 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.5% | $779 | $783 | $919 |
| FY 2024 ↑20.7% | $634 | $787 | $936 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.8% | $516 | $652 | $772 |
| FY 2022 ↑13.2% | $492 | $599 | $741 |
| FY 2021 ↓1.3% | $452 | $529 | $685 |
| FY 2020 | $479 | $536 | $703 |
Part of the Cornelia, GA Micro Area
Habersham County is a central county of the Cornelia, GA micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Habersham 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 Habersham County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Habersham County is $855 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,018 and a studio is $850.
How does Habersham County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Habersham County is 11% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $855 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Habersham County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Habersham County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,018 ranks #1,542 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Habersham County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $34,200 ($2,850/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Habersham County.
Is rent going up or down in Habersham County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Habersham County increased by 9.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $783 to $855.
Which jobs can afford rent in Habersham 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 $855/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Habersham County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Habersham County went from $536 in FY 2020 to $855 in FY 2026, a total change of +59.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Habersham County?
In Habersham County, the FY 2026 FMR of $855/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 Habersham County?
For Habersham County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($855/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Habersham County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Habersham County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.9% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Habersham'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 $855 implies about $34,200/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 Habersham 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.