County FMR · HUD FY2026
Heard County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Heard County, GA - 73% above the US average.
- $1,660
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,820
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.4%
- YoY change
- +73%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Heard is the 10th most expensive of 159 counties in Georgia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #220 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #220
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #10
- most expensive of 159 in Georgia (2BR)
- +62%
- vs the state average
- $66,400
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (15.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (75.7%); only 4 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 Heard County, GA. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Heard County, Georgia is $1,660 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,820/mo and a studio is $1,585/mo. This is 73% higher than the national average of $959 and 62% above the Georgia average of $1,023.
Rent increased0.4% from FY 2025 ($1,653), roughly tracking inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $66,400/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 38.8% of the 1,215 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 Georgia. Population: 11,489. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Georgia's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area HEARD·COUNTY·GA·GA
Heard County, GA: $1,660/mo 1BR · #220 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA GA
- 1BR-FMR $1,660
- 2BR-FMR $1,820
- RANK-UPPER #220
- YOY-FLAT +0.4%
- VSUS-HIGH +73%
- VS-ST-HIGH +62% GA
- INC-EDGE 32%
- POP-SMALL 11K
- PHOTO-FINISH Fulton County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,494–$1,826
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fulton ($0 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,591 | $1,585 | $-6 (-0.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,653 | $1,660 | +$7 (+0.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,830 | $1,820 | $-10 (-0.5%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,205 | $2,182 | $-23 (-1.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,653 | $2,605 | $-48 (-1.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Heard 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 Heard sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,820 Top 7% higher than 93% 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 Heard compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Georgia counties
- Heard
Heard County
$1,660 1BR FMR / mo
- 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
What this shows Heard is highlighted. Nearby Georgia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Heard County (this county) ($1,660), Fulton County ($1,660), Gwinnett County ($1,660), Cobb County ($1,660), DeKalb County ($1,660), Clayton County ($1,660), Chatham County ($1,533).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,660/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Georgia BLS wages?
| Occupation | GA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $128,920 | 15.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,800 | 20% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,560 | 23% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,100 | 24.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,490 | 31.4% | Stretched |
| Electricians | $58,860 | 33.8% | Stretched |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,570 | 35.2% | Stretched |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,350 | 35.4% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,120 | 36.1% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 51% | Unaffordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,390 | 51.9% | Unaffordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,130 | 60.1% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,770 | 66.9% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,860 | 71.5% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,310 | 75.7% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Heard County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Heard (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 62.0% overall, from $1,025 to $1,660. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 21.6% (FY 2023), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.4% | $1,585 | $1,660 | $1,820 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.6% | $1,591 | $1,653 | $1,830 |
| FY 2024 ↑19.5% | $1,599 | $1,643 | $1,844 |
| FY 2023 ↑21.6% | $1,345 | $1,375 | $1,553 |
| FY 2022 ↑8.8% | $1,111 | $1,131 | $1,289 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.5% | $1,016 | $1,040 | $1,185 |
| FY 2020 | $996 | $1,025 | $1,167 |
Part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area
Heard County is a outlying county of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 28 other metro-area counties.
Heard County ranks #24 of 29 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Fulton County ($1,660), Gwinnett County ($1,660), Cobb County ($1,660), DeKalb County ($1,660), Clayton County ($1,660), Cherokee County ($1,660), Forsyth County ($1,660), Henry County ($1,660), Paulding County ($1,660), Coweta County ($1,660), Douglas County ($1,660), Carroll County ($1,660), Fayette County ($1,660), Newton County ($1,660), Bartow County ($1,660), Walton County ($1,660), Rockdale County ($1,660), Barrow County ($1,660), Spalding County ($1,660), Pickens County ($1,660), Dawson County ($1,660), Pike County ($1,660), Jasper County ($1,660), Heard County (this county) ($1,660), Morgan County ($1,315), Lumpkin County ($1,136), Butts County ($977), Haralson County ($844), Meriwether County ($763).
Show all 29 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Heard 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 Heard County? ▼
How does Heard County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Heard County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Heard County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Heard County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Heard County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Heard County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Heard County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Heard 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.