County FMR · HUD FY2026

Hamilton County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Hamilton County, TN - 32% above the US average.

$1,263
1-bedroom FMR
$1,390
2-bedroom FMR
-1.6%
YoY change
+32%
vs US avg

The verdict

Hamilton is the 18th most expensive of 95 counties in Tennessee by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #598 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#598
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#18
most expensive of 95 in Tennessee (2BR)
+37%
vs the state average
$50,520
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (54.4%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Hamilton County, TN. Verify with HUD →

Hamilton County, Tennessee carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,263 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,390/mo and a studio is $1,211/mo. That's 32% above the national benchmark of $959 and 37% above the Tennessee average of $924.

Rent decreased1.6% from FY 2025 ($1,284), declining against the trend. A household needs about $50,520/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Tennessee. Population: 367,193. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.7%, Census ACS). That's in line with Tennessee's statewide growth of +5.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area HAMILTON·COUNTY·TN·TN

Hamilton County, TN: $1,263/mo 1BR · #598 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA TN
  • 1BR-FMR $1,263
  • 2BR-FMR $1,390
  • RANK-MID #598
  • YOY-FLAT -1.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +32%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +37% TN
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MAJOR 367K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Shelby County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,137–$1,389
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Shelby ($109 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $882 · US avg: $893
$1,211/mo
↓ 1.6% YoY +37% vs state +36% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $924 · US avg: $959
$1,263/mo
↓ 1.6% YoY +37% vs state +32% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,118 · US avg: $1,175
$1,390/mo
↓ 2.5% YoY +24% vs state +18% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,445 · US avg: $1,525
$1,734/mo
↓ 3.5% YoY +20% vs state +14% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,644 · US avg: $1,756
$1,853/mo
↓ 4.6% YoY +13% vs state +6% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,231
$1,211
$-20 (-1.6%)
1 Bedroom $1,284
$1,263
$-21 (-1.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,426
$1,390
$-36 (-2.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,796
$1,734
$-62 (-3.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,942
$1,853
$-89 (-4.6%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
20%
Affordable
Need $48,440/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.9%
Affordable
Need $50,520/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
23%
Affordable
Need $55,600/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
28.7%
Affordable
Need $69,360/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
30.6%
Burdened
Need $74,120/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%23%
Hamilton County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $72,568 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Tennessee rent burden →

Where Hamilton sits among every US county

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

$1,390 Top 19% higher than 81% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Hamilton compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Tennessee counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Hamilton is highlighted. Nearby Tennessee counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Davidson County ($1,578), Rutherford County ($1,578), Williamson County ($1,578), Hamilton County (this county) ($1,263), Knox County ($1,184), Shelby County ($1,154), Montgomery County ($1,094).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,263/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Tennessee BLS wages?

Occupation TN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $117,340 12.9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $102,850 14.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,030 19.2% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $75,500 20.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $59,410 25.5% Affordable
Electricians $59,190 25.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $55,610 27.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $55,270 27.4% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $52,690 28.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $40,130 37.8% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $38,130 39.7% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,220 48.5% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,770 49.3% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $28,030 54.1% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,840 54.4% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Tennessee) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Hamilton (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 84.1% overall, from $686 to $1,263. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 23.9% (FY 2023), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,263
Hamilton County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓1.6% $1,211 $1,263 $1,390
FY 2025 ↑18.3% $1,231 $1,284 $1,426
FY 2024 ↑18.1% $1,068 $1,085 $1,232
FY 2023 ↑23.9% $910 $919 $1,067
FY 2022 ↑6.9% $721 $742 $883
FY 2021 ↑1.2% $636 $694 $838
FY 2020 $599 $686 $832
Total change (6yr): +84.1%
Annualized: +10.7%/yr
1 BR: $686 → $1,263

Part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area

Hamilton County is a central county of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 5 other metro-area counties.

Hamilton County ranks #6 of 6 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Walker County ($1,263), Catoosa County ($1,263), Marion County ($1,263), Dade County ($1,263), Sequatchie County ($1,263), Hamilton County (this county) ($1,263).

Walker County
1 BR: $1,263/mo
Catoosa County
1 BR: $1,263/mo
Marion County
1 BR: $1,263/mo
Dade County
1 BR: $1,263/mo
Sequatchie County
1 BR: $1,263/mo
Hamilton County (this county)
1 BR: $1,263/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Hamilton County, both outside Tennessee 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 TN (FY2026).

Walker County
GA · 2 BR $1,390/mo
Catoosa County
GA · 2 BR $1,390/mo
Dade County
GA · 2 BR $1,390/mo
Onondaga County
NY · 2 BR $1,392/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Nassau County
NY · 23% of income · 2 BR $2,747/mo
Chelan County
WA · 23% of income · 2 BR $1,500/mo
Henrico County
VA · 23% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Clackamas County
OR · 23% of income · 2 BR $1,922/mo

Nearby Counties in Tennessee

Largest counties by population in Tennessee

Showing the 8 largest of 94 other counties in Tennessee.

Shelby County
1 BR: $1,154/mo Pop: 926,440
Davidson County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 709,786
Knox County
1 BR: $1,184/mo Pop: 481,406
Rutherford County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 343,727
Williamson County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 248,897
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,094/mo Pop: 222,305
Sumner County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 196,845
Sullivan County
1 BR: $818/mo Pop: 158,722
View all counties in Tennessee →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Hamilton County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Hamilton County is $1,263 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,390 and a studio is $1,211.
How does Hamilton County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Hamilton County is 32% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,263 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Hamilton County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Hamilton County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,390 ranks #598 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Hamilton County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $50,520 ($4,210/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Hamilton County.
Is rent going up or down in Hamilton County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hamilton County decreased by 1.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,284 to $1,263.
Which jobs can afford rent in Hamilton County? ▼
Based on Tennessee BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,263/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Hamilton County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hamilton County went from $686 in FY 2020 to $1,263 in FY 2026, a total change of +84.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Hamilton County? ▼
In Hamilton County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,263/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 Hamilton County? ▼
For Hamilton County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,263/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.