County FMR · HUD FY2026
Meriwether County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Meriwether County, GA - 20% below the US average.
- $763
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,001
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -2.4%
- YoY change
- -20%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Meriwether is the 64th cheapest of 159 counties in Georgia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,448 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,448
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #64
- cheapest of 159 in Georgia (2BR)
- -25%
- vs the state average
- $30,520
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Meriwether County, GA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Meriwether County, Georgia at $763 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,001/mo and a studio is $758/mo. This is 20% lower than the national average of $959 and 25% below the Georgia average of $1,023.
Rent decreased2.4% from FY 2025 ($782), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,520/year.
Observed renter burden: 40.2% of the 2,413 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 3.8%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Georgia. Population: 20,679. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Georgia's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MERIWETHER·COUNTY·GA·GA
Meriwether County, GA: $763/mo 1BR · #1448 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA GA
- 1BR-FMR $763
- 2BR-FMR $1,001
- RANK-MID #1,448
- YOY-DOWN -2.4%
- VSUS-BELOW -20%
- VS-ST-LOW -25% GA
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Fulton County
- VOUCH-90-110 $687–$839
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fulton ($897 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $777 | $758 | $-19 (-2.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $782 | $763 | $-19 (-2.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,026 | $1,001 | $-25 (-2.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,438 | $1,392 | $-46 (-3.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,473 | $1,511 | +$38 (+2.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Meriwether 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 Meriwether sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,001 higher than 46% 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 Meriwether 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
- Meriwether
Meriwether County
$763 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Meriwether 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), Meriwether County (this county) ($763).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $763/mo, most of these Georgia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | GA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $128,920 | 7.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,800 | 9.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,560 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,100 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,490 | 14.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,860 | 15.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,350 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,570 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,120 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 23.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,390 | 23.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,130 | 27.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,770 | 30.8% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,860 | 32.9% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,310 | 34.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Meriwether County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Meriwether (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.5% overall, from $628 to $763. Rent fell in 3 of the last 6 tracked years, including a 14.1% drop in FY 2024 - an unusual multi-year softening rather than the steady increases seen in most US counties.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓2.4% | $758 | $763 | $1,001 |
| FY 2025 ↓3.1% | $777 | $782 | $1,026 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.1% | $802 | $807 | $1,061 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.4% | $702 | $707 | $930 |
| FY 2022 ↑6.1% | $642 | $646 | $850 |
| FY 2021 ↓3.0% | $605 | $609 | $803 |
| FY 2020 | $624 | $628 | $827 |
Part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area
Meriwether County is a outlying county of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 28 other metro-area counties.
Meriwether County ranks #29 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 ($1,660), Morgan County ($1,315), Lumpkin County ($1,136), Butts County ($977), Haralson County ($844), Meriwether County (this county) ($763).
Show all 29 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Meriwether 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 Meriwether County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Meriwether County is $763 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,001 and a studio is $758.
How does Meriwether County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Meriwether County is 20% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $763 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Meriwether County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Meriwether County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,001 ranks #1,448 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 Meriwether County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,520 ($2,543/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Meriwether County.
Is rent going up or down in Meriwether County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Meriwether County decreased by 2.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $782 to $763.
Which jobs can afford rent in Meriwether 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 $763/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Meriwether County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Meriwether County went from $628 in FY 2020 to $763 in FY 2026, a total change of +21.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Meriwether County?
In Meriwether County, the FY 2026 FMR of $763/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 Meriwether County?
For Meriwether County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($763/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Meriwether County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.8%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Meriwether County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Meriwether'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 $763 implies about $30,520/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 Meriwether 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.