County FMR · HUD FY2026
Tunica County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Tunica County, MS - 12% above the US average.
- $1,073
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,186
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -2.3%
- YoY change
- +12%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Tunica is the 7th most expensive of 82 counties in Mississippi by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,038 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,038
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #7
- most expensive of 82 in Mississippi (2BR)
- +37%
- vs the state average
- $42,920
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.6%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (59.1%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Tunica County, MS. Verify with HUD →
Tunica County, Mississippi carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,073 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,186/mo and a studio is $986/mo. That's 12% above the national benchmark of $959 and 37% above the Mississippi average of $782.
Rent decreased2.3% from FY 2025 ($1,098), declining against the trend. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $42,920/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 53.0% of the 2,132 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 22.0%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Mississippi. Population: 9,787. Population declined 5.7% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Mississippi's statewide growth of -1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area TUNICA·COUNTY·MS·MS
Tunica County, MS: $1,073/mo 1BR · #1038 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MS
- 1BR-FMR $1,073
- 2BR-FMR $1,186
- RANK-MID #1,038
- YOY-DOWN -2.3%
- VSUS-ABOVE +12%
- VS-ST-HIGH +37% MS
- INC-EDGE 34%
- POP-SMALL 10K
- PHOTO-NEAR Hinds County
- VOUCH-90-110 $966–$1,180
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Hinds ($24 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $999 | $986 | $-13 (-1.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,098 | $1,073 | $-25 (-2.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,234 | $1,186 | $-48 (-3.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,487 | $1,422 | $-65 (-4.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,636 | $1,570 | $-66 (-4.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Tunica 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 Tunica sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,186 Top 33% higher than 67% 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 Tunica compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Mississippi counties
- DeSoto
DeSoto County
$1,154 1BR FMR / mo
- Hinds
Hinds County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Rankin
Rankin County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Madison
Madison County
$1,097 1BR FMR / mo
- Tunica
Tunica County
$1,073 1BR FMR / mo
- Jackson
Jackson County
$951 1BR FMR / mo
- Harrison
Harrison County
$923 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Tunica is highlighted. Nearby Mississippi counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: DeSoto County ($1,154), Hinds County ($1,097), Rankin County ($1,097), Madison County ($1,097), Tunica County (this county) ($1,073), Jackson County ($951), Harrison County ($923).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $1,073/mo compares to Mississippi salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $88,290 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $86,460 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $74,470 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $64,170 | 20.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $57,300 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,700 | 25.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,440 | 26.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $45,610 | 28.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $39,120 | 32.9% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,210 | 33.7% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $35,580 | 36.2% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,810 | 46.3% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $27,610 | 46.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $22,280 | 57.8% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $21,790 | 59.1% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Tunica County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Tunica (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 55.1% overall, from $692 to $1,073. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 24.6% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓2.3% | $986 | $1,073 | $1,186 |
| FY 2025 ↑8.0% | $999 | $1,098 | $1,234 |
| FY 2024 ↑24.6% | $940 | $1,017 | $1,191 |
| FY 2023 ↑12.2% | $811 | $816 | $946 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.8% | $629 | $727 | $828 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.2% | $698 | $714 | $814 |
| FY 2020 | $673 | $692 | $788 |
Part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area
Tunica County is a outlying county of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metropolitan statistical area, alongside 8 other metro-area counties.
Tunica County ranks #6 of 9 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Shelby County ($1,154), DeSoto County ($1,154), Tipton County ($1,154), Crittenden County ($1,154), Fayette County ($1,154), Tunica County (this county) ($1,073), Marshall County ($846), Tate County ($830), Benton County ($768).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Tunica County, both outside Mississippi 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 MS (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MS).
Nearby Counties in Mississippi
Largest counties by population in Mississippi
Showing the 8 largest of 81 other counties in Mississippi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Tunica County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Tunica County is $1,073 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,186 and a studio is $986.
How does Tunica County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Tunica County is 12% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,073 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Tunica County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Tunica County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,186 ranks #1,038 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 Tunica County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $42,920 ($3,577/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Tunica County.
Is rent going up or down in Tunica County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Tunica County decreased by 2.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,098 to $1,073.
Which jobs can afford rent in Tunica County?
Based on Mississippi BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,073/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Tunica County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Tunica County went from $692 in FY 2020 to $1,073 in FY 2026, a total change of +55.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Tunica County?
In Tunica County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,073/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 Tunica County?
For Tunica County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,073/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Tunica County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 22.0%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Tunica County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Tunica'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 $1,073 implies about $42,920/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Mississippi counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Hinds
- See where Tunica 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.