Metro FMR · CBSA 23580 · HUD FY2026

Gainesville, GA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Gainesville, GA MSA metro area - 44% above the US average.

$1,381
1-bedroom FMR
$1,514
2-bedroom FMR
+1.6%
YoY change
+44%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Gainesville, GA MSA area rents at $1,514 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 29% above the US average, higher than 70% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#116
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+29%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$60,560
income to afford it (30% rule)
+1.6%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Gainesville: #116 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $77,430, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 21.4% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places Gainesville in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 204,953 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,177/mo

18.2% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,381/mo

21.4% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,514/mo

23.5% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,834/mo

28.4% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,127/mo

33.0% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·23580

Gainesville: $1,381/mo 1BR · #116 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 23580

  • CBSA 23580
  • 1BR-FMR $1,381
  • 2BR-FMR $1,514
  • RANK-MID #116
  • YOY-FLAT +1.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +44%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #12 GA
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MID 205K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Albany
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,243–$1,519
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Albany ($375 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Gainesville sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,514 Top 30% higher than 70% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

Gainesville studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #116 nationally

1BR $1,381 (+44% vs US, +1.6% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 23580.

Studio
$1,177
US avg $893
↑2.4% YoY +32% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,381
US avg $959
↑1.6% YoY +44% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,514
US avg $1,175
↑0.6% YoY +29% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,834
US avg $1,525
↑1.2% YoY +20% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,127
US avg $1,756
↑4.0% YoY +21% vs US

How Gainesville compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other GA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Gainesville highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Gainesville: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Gainesville with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside GA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside GA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Merced
CA · 2 BR $1,503/mo
Lancaster
PA · 2 BR $1,526/mo
New Bedford
MA · 2 BR $1,527/mo
Albany
OR · 2 BR $1,500/mo

Burden % · outside GA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Morristown
TN · 23.4% of income · 2 BR $1,135/mo
Richmond
VA · 23.5% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Battle Creek
MI · 23.4% of income · 2 BR $1,176/mo
Muskegon-Norton Shores
MI · 23.4% of income · 2 BR $1,236/mo

Gainesville: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Gainesville, GA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Gainesville, GA MSA is $1,381 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,514 and a studio is $1,177.
How does Gainesville, GA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Gainesville, GA MSA metro area is 44% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,381 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Gainesville rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,514 ranks #116 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Gainesville, GA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $55,240 ($4,603/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Gainesville, GA MSA area.

Compare Gainesville vs Albany →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,381/mo · 1BR GA

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.