County FMR · HUD FY2026

Vernon Parish Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Vernon Parish, LA - 17% below the US average.

$793
1-bedroom FMR
$1,041
2-bedroom FMR
-10.0%
YoY change
-17%
vs US avg

The verdict

Vernon is the 24th most expensive of 64 counties in Louisiana by 2-bedroom FMR; rent here has fallen 10.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#24
most expensive of 64 in Louisiana (2BR)
-5%
vs the state average
$31,720
income to afford it (30% rule)
-10.0%
YoY, FY2025→2026

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (41.2%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Vernon Parish, LA. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Vernon Parish, Louisiana is $793 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,041/mo and a studio is $788/mo. This is 17% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% below the Louisiana average of $832.

Rent decreased10.0% from FY 2025 ($881), declining against the trend. To afford rent here, a household needs at least $31,720/year based on the 30% affordability rule.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Louisiana. Population: 48,452. Population declined 6.4% 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 Louisiana's statewide growth of -0.9% over the same period.

What these rents mean for Vernon Parish

The Vernon Parish FMR area applies to all ZIP codes inside the county boundary, and Louisiana's housing authorities use it as the baseline for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. See how FMR is calculated for the full 40th-percentile methodology and payment-standard rules.

Compared to the rest of the country, a 1-bedroom here is 17% below the US average of $959 and 5% lower than the Louisiana state average of $832. Year-over-year, the 1-bedroom FMR moved from$881 in FY 2025 to $793 in FY 2026 - a change of -10.0%, which is unusual and suggests softening demand or revised HUD sampling.

At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $793, affording it under the 30%-of-income rule takes $31,720 per year (about $2,643/month) in household income, and a 2-bedroom at $1,041 pushes that threshold even higher. With a population of 48,452 and a county median household income of $58,281, the arithmetic here directly shapes which wage earners can rent without being cost-burdened.

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $763 · US avg: $893
$788/mo
↓ 9.9% YoY +3% vs state -12% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $832 · US avg: $959
$793/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY -5% vs state -17% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,007 · US avg: $1,175
$1,041/mo
↓ 9.9% YoY +3% vs state -11% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,298 · US avg: $1,525
$1,336/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +3% vs state -12% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,508 · US avg: $1,756
$1,433/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY -5% vs state -18% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $875
$788
$-87 (-9.9%)
1 Bedroom $881
$793
$-88 (-10.0%)
2 Bedroom $1,156
$1,041
$-115 (-9.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,484
$1,336
$-148 (-10.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,592
$1,433
$-159 (-10.0%)

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$31,720
$2,643/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$41,640
$3,470/month gross

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
16.2%
Affordable
Need $31,520/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.3%
Affordable
Need $31,720/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.4%
Affordable
Need $41,640/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
27.5%
Affordable
Need $53,440/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.5%
Affordable
Need $57,320/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.

Vernon Parish 2-bedroom rent burden

0%100%National avg22%21.4%
Vernon Parish 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $58,281 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Louisiana rent burden →

Where Vernon sits among every US county

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

$1,041 higher than 52% of 3,145 counties

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

1-bedroom FMR vs other Louisiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Vernon is highlighted. Nearby Louisiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: St. Tammany Parish ($1,130), Jefferson Parish ($1,113), Orleans Parish ($1,113), East Baton Rouge Parish ($1,064), Caddo Parish ($982), Lafayette Parish ($898), Vernon Parish (this county) ($793).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $793/mo compares to Louisiana salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation LA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $102,290 9.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $102,060 9.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $78,880 12.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $69,540 13.7% Affordable
Electricians $59,590 16% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $52,280 18.2% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $50,580 18.8% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $48,770 19.5% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $47,580 20% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $38,700 24.6% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $35,890 26.5% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $28,820 33% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $27,940 34.1% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $27,040 35.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $23,110 41.2% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Louisiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Vernon (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has fallen 3.1% overall, from $818 to $793. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 11.0% (FY 2025), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$650$700$750$800$850$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $793
Vernon Parish 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓10.0% $788 $793 $1,041
FY 2025 ↑11.0% $875 $881 $1,156
FY 2024 ↑8.8% $789 $794 $1,043
FY 2023 ↑3.5% $725 $730 $961
FY 2022 ↓9.6% $663 $705 $928
FY 2021 ↓4.6% $730 $780 $1,028
FY 2020 $729 $818 $1,078
Total change (6yr): -3.1%
Annualized: -0.5%/yr
1 BR: $818 → $793

Where Vernon Parish Ranks in Louisiana

Vernon Parish 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 #41 of 64 counties in Louisiana. Nearest by rank: St. Mary Parish ($947), Assumption Parish ($967), Grant Parish ($994), Rapides Parish ($994), Lafayette Parish ($1,019), St. Martin Parish ($1,019), Ouachita Parish ($1,026), Union Parish ($1,026), Vernon Parish (this county) ($1,041), Tangipahoa Parish ($1,099), Lafourche Parish ($1,102), Terrebonne Parish ($1,102), Bossier Parish ($1,111), Caddo Parish ($1,111), De Soto Parish ($1,111), Ascension Parish ($1,204), East Baton Rouge Parish ($1,204).

Nearby Counties in Louisiana

Largest counties by population in Louisiana

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Vernon Parish?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Vernon Parish is $793 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,041 and a studio is $788.
How does Vernon Parish rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Vernon Parish is 17% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $793 compared to $959 nationally.
What income do I need to afford rent in Vernon Parish?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,720 ($2,643/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Vernon Parish.
Is rent going up or down in Vernon Parish?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Vernon Parish decreased by 10.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $881 to $793.
Which jobs can afford rent in Vernon Parish?
Based on Louisiana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $793/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Vernon Parish over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Vernon Parish went from $818 in FY 2020 to $793 in FY 2026, a total change of -3.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Vernon Parish?
In Vernon Parish, the FY 2026 FMR of $793/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 Vernon Parish?
For Vernon Parish, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($793/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

What this means for renters

Treat Vernon's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $793 implies about $31,720/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
  • See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Vernon can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

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.