County FMR · HUD FY2026

Lawrence County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, AL - 19% below the US average.

$776
1-bedroom FMR
$961
2-bedroom FMR
+2.6%
YoY change
-19%
vs US avg

The verdict

Lawrence is the 27th most expensive of 67 counties in Alabama by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #882 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#882
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#27
most expensive of 67 in Alabama (2BR)
+1%
vs the state average
$31,040
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.2%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (40.9%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, AL. Verify with HUD →

Lawrence County, Alabama carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $776 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $961/mo and a studio is $755/mo. That's 19% below the national benchmark of $959 and 1% above the Alabama average of $772.

Rent increased2.6% from FY 2025 ($756), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,040/year.

Observed renter burden: 24.0% of the 2,443 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 Alabama. Population: 33,116. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+0.0%, Census ACS). That's slower than Alabama's statewide growth of +3.9% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area LAWRENCE·COUNTY·AL·AL

Lawrence County, AL: $776/mo 1BR · #882 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA AL
  • 1BR-FMR $776
  • 2BR-FMR $961
  • RANK-MID #882
  • YOY-UP +2.6%
  • VSUS-BELOW -19%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +1% AL
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-SMALL 33K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $698–$854
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($379 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $716 · US avg: $893
$755/mo
↑ 4.0% YoY +5% vs state -15% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $772 · US avg: $959
$776/mo
↑ 2.6% YoY +1% vs state -19% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $936 · US avg: $1,175
$961/mo
↑ 4.1% YoY +3% vs state -18% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,206 · US avg: $1,525
$1,262/mo
↑ 4.0% YoY +5% vs state -17% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,381 · US avg: $1,756
$1,550/mo
↑ 6.5% YoY +12% vs state -12% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $726
$755
+$29 (+4.0%)
1 Bedroom $756
$776
+$20 (+2.6%)
2 Bedroom $923
$961
+$38 (+4.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,214
$1,262
+$48 (+4.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,456
$1,550
+$94 (+6.5%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15.1%
Affordable
Need $30,200/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
15.5%
Affordable
Need $31,040/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
19.2%
Affordable
Need $38,440/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
25.2%
Affordable
Need $50,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
31%
Burdened
Need $62,000/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%19.2%
Lawrence County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $60,040 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Alabama rent burden →

Where Lawrence sits among every US county

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

$961 higher than 28% of 3,145 counties

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

1-bedroom FMR vs other Alabama counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Lawrence is highlighted. Nearby Alabama counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Baldwin County ($1,200), Jefferson County ($1,155), Madison County ($1,136), Tuscaloosa County ($972), Mobile County ($919), Montgomery County ($870), Lawrence County (this county) ($776).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $776/mo, most of these Alabama occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation AL Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $113,020 8.2% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $106,330 8.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $71,040 13.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $71,070 13.1% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $59,850 15.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $53,850 17.3% Affordable
Electricians $52,420 17.8% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,120 18.6% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $46,060 20.2% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $37,690 24.7% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $37,730 24.7% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $29,430 31.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $29,120 32% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $23,490 39.6% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $22,790 40.9% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Alabama) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lawrence (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 42.1% overall, from $546 to $776. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +17.2% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $776
Lawrence County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑2.6% $755 $776 $961
FY 2025 ↓0.9% $726 $756 $923
FY 2024 ↑17.2% $740 $763 $924
FY 2023 ↑10.0% $623 $651 $795
FY 2022 ↑3.1% $554 $592 $720
FY 2021 ↑5.1% $509 $574 $708
FY 2020 $480 $546 $687
Total change (6yr): +42.1%
Annualized: +6.0%/yr
1 BR: $546 → $776

Part of the Decatur, AL Metro Area

Lawrence County is a outlying county of the Decatur, AL metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

Lawrence County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Morgan County ($776), Lawrence County (this county) ($776).

Morgan County
1 BR: $776/mo
Lawrence County (this county)
1 BR: $776/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lawrence County, both outside Alabama 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 AL (FY2026).

Adams County
NE · 2 BR $961/mo
Jennings County
IN · 2 BR $961/mo
Upshur County
WV · 2 BR $961/mo
Gage County
NE · 2 BR $961/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Bates County
MO · 19.2% of income · 2 BR $927/mo
Haakon County
SD · 19.2% of income · 2 BR $948/mo
Shawnee County
KS · 19.2% of income · 2 BR $1,057/mo
James City County
VA · 19.2% of income · 2 BR $1,713/mo

Nearby Counties in Alabama

Largest counties by population in Alabama

Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Alabama.

Jefferson County
1 BR: $1,155/mo Pop: 672,265
Mobile County
1 BR: $919/mo Pop: 413,878
Madison County
1 BR: $1,136/mo Pop: 389,781
Baldwin County
1 BR: $1,200/mo Pop: 233,420
Tuscaloosa County
1 BR: $972/mo Pop: 231,558
Montgomery County
1 BR: $870/mo Pop: 228,132
Shelby County
1 BR: $1,155/mo Pop: 223,916
Lee County
1 BR: $1,077/mo Pop: 175,126
View all counties in Alabama →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Lawrence County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Lawrence County is $776 per month. A 2-bedroom is $961 and a studio is $755.
How does Lawrence County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Lawrence County is 19% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $776 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Lawrence County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Lawrence County's 2-bedroom FMR of $961 ranks #882 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 Lawrence County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,040 ($2,587/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County.
Is rent going up or down in Lawrence County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County increased by 2.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $756 to $776.
Which jobs can afford rent in Lawrence County? ▼
Based on Alabama BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $776/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Lawrence County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County went from $546 in FY 2020 to $776 in FY 2026, a total change of +42.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lawrence County? ▼
In Lawrence County, the FY 2026 FMR of $776/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 Lawrence County? ▼
For Lawrence County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($776/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.