County FMR · HUD FY2026
Pierce County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Pierce County, GA - 17% below the US average.
- $794
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,042
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +10.1%
- YoY change
- -17%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Pierce is the 78th cheapest of 159 counties in Georgia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,510 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 10.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,510
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #78
- cheapest of 159 in Georgia (2BR)
- -22%
- vs the state average
- $31,760
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (36.2%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Pierce County, GA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Pierce County, Georgia at $794 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,042/mo and a studio is $789/mo. This is 17% lower than the national average of $959 and 22% below the Georgia average of $1,023.
Rent increased10.1% from FY 2025 ($721), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,760/year.
Observed renter burden: 32.0% of the 1,643 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 7.0%, 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 3.7% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Georgia. Population: 19,822. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.3%, Census ACS). That's in line with Georgia's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area PIERCE·COUNTY·GA·GA
Pierce County, GA: $794/mo 1BR · #1510 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA GA
- 1BR-FMR $794
- 2BR-FMR $1,042
- RANK-MID #1,510
- YOY-SURGE +10.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -17%
- VS-ST-LOW -22% GA
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-SMALL 20K
- PHOTO-NEAR Fulton County
- VOUCH-90-110 $715–$873
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fulton ($866 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $716 | $789 | +$73 (+10.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $721 | $794 | +$73 (+10.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $946 | $1,042 | +$96 (+10.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,140 | $1,249 | +$109 (+9.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,266 | $1,380 | +$114 (+9.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Pierce 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 Pierce sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,042 higher than 52% 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 Pierce 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
- Pierce
Pierce County
$794 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Pierce 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), Pierce County (this county) ($794).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $794/mo, most of these Georgia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | GA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $128,920 | 7.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,800 | 9.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,560 | 11% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,100 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,490 | 15% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,860 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,570 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,350 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,120 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 24.4% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,390 | 24.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,130 | 28.8% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,770 | 32% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,860 | 34.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,310 | 36.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Pierce County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Pierce (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 39.5% overall, from $569 to $794. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.0% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑10.1% | $789 | $794 | $1,042 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.1% | $716 | $721 | $946 |
| FY 2024 ↑12.3% | $717 | $722 | $916 |
| FY 2023 ↑15.0% | $639 | $643 | $819 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.4% | $555 | $559 | $717 |
| FY 2021 ↓4.0% | $543 | $546 | $648 |
| FY 2020 | $556 | $569 | $651 |
Part of the Waycross, GA Micro Area
Pierce County is a outlying county of the Waycross, GA micropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other micro-area county.
Pierce County ranks #1 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Pierce County (this county) ($794), Ware County ($786).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Pierce 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 Pierce County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pierce County is $794 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,042 and a studio is $789.
How does Pierce County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Pierce County is 17% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $794 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Pierce County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Pierce County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,042 ranks #1,510 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Pierce County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,760 ($2,647/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Pierce County.
Is rent going up or down in Pierce County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pierce County increased by 10.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $721 to $794.
Which jobs can afford rent in Pierce 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 $794/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Pierce County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pierce County went from $569 in FY 2020 to $794 in FY 2026, a total change of +39.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Pierce County?
In Pierce County, the FY 2026 FMR of $794/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 Pierce County?
For Pierce County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($794/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Pierce County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 7.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Pierce County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.7% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Pierce'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 $794 implies about $31,760/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 Pierce 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.