County FMR · HUD FY2026
Searcy County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Searcy County, AR - 30% below the US average.
- $671
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $880
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.9%
- YoY change
- -30%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Searcy is the 34th cheapest of 75 counties in Arkansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #284 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #284
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #34
- cheapest of 75 in Arkansas (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $26,840
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (30.1%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Arkansas counties range as much as 56% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Searcy County, AR. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Searcy County, Arkansas at $671 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $880/mo and a studio is $630/mo. This is 30% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Arkansas average of $751.
Rent increased3.9% from FY 2025 ($646), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $26,840/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Arkansas. Population: 7,880. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Arkansas's statewide growth of +1.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area SEARCY·COUNTY·AR·AR
Searcy County, AR: $671/mo 1BR · #284 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA AR
- 1BR-FMR $671
- 2BR-FMR $880
- RANK-LOW #284
- YOY-UP +3.9%
- VSUS-LOW -30%
- VS-ST-LOW -11% AR
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-NEAR Pulaski County
- VOUCH-90-110 $604–$738
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Pulaski ($318 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $618 | $630 | +$12 (+1.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $646 | $671 | +$25 (+3.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $848 | $880 | +$32 (+3.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,104 | $1,224 | +$120 (+10.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,193 | $1,240 | +$47 (+3.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Searcy 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 Searcy sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$880 higher than 9% 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 Searcy compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Arkansas counties
- Benton
Benton County
$1,115 1BR FMR / mo
- Washington
Washington County
$1,115 1BR FMR / mo
- Pulaski
Pulaski County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Faulkner
Faulkner County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Saline
Saline County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Sebastian
Sebastian County
$714 1BR FMR / mo
- Searcy
Searcy County
$671 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Searcy is highlighted. Nearby Arkansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Benton County ($1,115), Washington County ($1,115), Pulaski County ($989), Faulkner County ($989), Saline County ($989), Sebastian County ($714), Searcy County (this county) ($671).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $671/mo, most of these Arkansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | AR Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $96,820 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $77,130 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $64,260 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $64,180 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,550 | 15.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $49,420 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,520 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $48,090 | 16.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $46,940 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,380 | 21.5% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,490 | 21.5% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $29,540 | 27.3% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,420 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,270 | 27.5% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,740 | 30.1% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Searcy County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Searcy (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 34.2% overall, from $500 to $671. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.9% | $630 | $671 | $880 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.2% | $618 | $646 | $848 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.3% | $604 | $620 | $814 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.1% | $539 | $547 | $720 |
| FY 2022 ↓2.2% | $481 | $497 | $649 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.6% | $479 | $508 | $654 |
| FY 2020 | $459 | $500 | $630 |
Where Searcy County Ranks in Arkansas
Searcy County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #34 of 75 counties in Arkansas. Nearest by rank: Newton County ($880), Ouachita County ($880), Phillips County ($880), Pike County ($880), Poinsett County ($880), Prairie County ($880), Randolph County ($880), Scott County ($880), Searcy County (this county) ($880), Sevier County ($880), Sharp County ($880), Van Buren County ($880), White County ($880), Woodruff County ($880), Yell County ($880), Howard County ($883), Johnson County ($884).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Searcy County, both outside Arkansas 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 AR (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside AR).
Nearby Counties in Arkansas
Largest counties by population in Arkansas
Showing the 8 largest of 74 other counties in Arkansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Searcy County? ▼
How does Searcy County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Searcy County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Searcy County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Searcy County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Searcy County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Searcy County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Searcy County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Searcy 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.