HUD FY2026 · National FMR ranking

Cheapest Rent for 2-Bedroom Apartments

The most affordable counties for 2-bedroom units by Fair Market Rent. The cheapest county runs just $776 for a 2-bedroom, ideal for couples and small families.

$776
Cheapest county (2BR) - Barbour
$834
Cheapest metro (2BR)
3,145
Counties ranked

The cheapest US county for a 2-bedroom is Barbour County, where HUD Fair Market Rent is $776/month in FY 2026. Ranked across 3,145 counties; the most affordable 2BR markets cluster in the rural South and Midwest.

Most affordable areas by 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY 2026, compared across all 50 states, ideal for couples and small families. Each figure is HUD's published 40th-percentile gross rent for the county. See our methodology.

Top 10 cheapest counties by 2-bedroom FMR

HUD Fair Market Rent, the FY2026 ceiling HUD will subsidize for a modest 2-bedroom unit

2BR FMR / mo

What this shows Barbour County is the most affordable county in the nation for a 2-bedroom. Rural counties across the South and Midwest fill the cheapest tier.

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

Top 50 Cheapest Counties, 2-Bedroom

# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Barbour County $576$693
$776
$1,017$1,068
2 Bullock County $576$708
$776
$930$1,302
3 Clay County $576$591
$776
$1,024$1,027
4 Conecuh County $576$615
$776
$1,079$1,157
5 Coosa County $576$615
$776
$1,079$1,157
6 Covington County $576$591
$776
$999$1,302
7 Crenshaw County $588$591
$776
$930$1,027
8 Dale County $603$690
$776
$1,079$1,302
9 DeKalb County $576$591
$776
$992$1,302
10 Escambia County $576$675
$776
$972$1,203
11 Fayette County $576$671
$776
$1,079$1,157
12 Franklin County $576$704
$776
$976$1,071
13 Jackson County $576$643
$776
$1,004$1,234
14 Lamar County $618$636
$776
$1,024$1,040
15 Marion County $535$591
$776
$1,039$1,302
16 Marshall County $588$591
$776
$1,069$1,073
17 Monroe County $576$619
$776
$1,079$1,254
18 Pickens County $588$591
$776
$994$1,290
19 Winston County $576$631
$776
$1,070$1,150
20 Choctaw County $578$616
$778
$1,024$1,179
21 Randolph County $536$634
$778
$980$1,126
22 Marengo County $582$693
$783
$1,018$1,187
23 Clarke County $588$603
$791
$1,034$1,261
24 Perry County $596$636
$803
$963$1,198
25 Talladega County $561$682
$814
$1,107$1,112
26 Sumter County $619$642
$827
$1,107$1,193
27 Allen Parish $601$754
$834
$1,048$1,249
28 Bienville Parish $601$707
$834
$1,160$1,399
29 Caldwell Parish $604$647
$834
$1,072$1,249
30 Catahoula Parish $601$647
$834
$1,139$1,249
31 Claiborne Parish $601$706
$834
$1,000$1,249
32 Concordia Parish $601$647
$834
$1,139$1,249
33 East Carroll Parish $601$647
$834
$1,139$1,249
34 Evangeline Parish $601$667
$834
$1,085$1,104
35 Franklin Parish $601$698
$834
$1,067$1,249
36 Jackson Parish $601$761
$834
$1,160$1,225
37 Madison Parish $616$638
$834
$1,100$1,399
38 Morehouse Parish $631$636
$834
$1,143$1,172
39 Red River Parish $601$647
$834
$1,073$1,251
40 St. Landry Parish $631$636
$834
$1,040$1,202
41 Tensas Parish $601$761
$834
$1,160$1,249
42 Vermilion Parish $580$761
$834
$1,100$1,104
43 Washington Parish $727$761
$834
$1,160$1,388
44 West Carroll Parish $601$636
$834
$1,088$1,138
45 Winn Parish $601$761
$834
$1,160$1,249
46 Dallas County $620$637
$836
$1,103$1,107
47 Butler County $622$638
$837
$1,004$1,139
48 Adams County $727$768
$842
$1,111$1,115
49 Alcorn County $727$768
$842
$1,158$1,162
50 Attala County $638$642
$842
$1,115$1,118

Top 25 Cheapest Metro Areas, 2-Bedroom

# Metro Area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Morehouse Parish, LA HUD Metro FMR Area $631$636
$834
$1,143$1,172
2 Cherokee County, KS HUD Metro FMR Area $664$668
$877
$1,157$1,161
3 Little River County, AR HUD Metro FMR Area $666$671
$880
$1,166$1,170
4 Acadia Parish, LA HUD Metro FMR Area $607$671
$880
$1,055$1,194
5 Boone County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area $669$674
$869
$1,195$1,458
6 Fayette County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area $631$697
$915
$1,195$1,535
7 Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA $683$714
$937
$1,266$1,532
8 Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area $659$729
$956
$1,209$1,348
9 Rock County, MN HUD Metro FMR Area $727$742
$973
$1,353$1,357
10 Bosque County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area $671$742
$973
$1,283$1,288
11 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA $741$745
$928
$1,194$1,253
12 Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA $753$757
$962
$1,300$1,361
13 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA $752$757
$973
$1,285$1,482
14 Allen County, KY HUD Metro FMR Area $759$759
$996
$1,224$1,520
15 Dothan, AL HUD Metro FMR Area $757$762
$950
$1,288$1,428
16 Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA $735$771
$973
$1,270$1,345
17 Mansfield, OH MSA $671$773
$973
$1,315$1,530
18 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA $698$775
$1,000
$1,242$1,409
19 Decatur, AL MSA $755$776
$961
$1,262$1,550
20 Alexandria, LA MSA $728$780
$994
$1,342$1,523
21 Lawton, OK HUD Metro FMR Area $779$784
$1,001
$1,392$1,679
22 Boone County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area $783$788
$1,026
$1,427$1,500
23 Massac County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area $784$789
$969
$1,348$1,415
24 Gadsden, AL MSA $639$792
$927
$1,124$1,304
25 Callaway County, MO HUD Metro FMR Area $789$794
$1,042
$1,249$1,472

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the cheapest 2-bedroom apartment rent in the US? ▼
Based on FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents, the cheapest counties for 2-bedroom apartments are found in rural areas of states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. These areas have 2-bedroom FMRs well below the national average, making them attractive for budget-conscious families.
What income do I need to afford a 2-bedroom apartment? ▼
Using the 30% rule, you need a gross annual income of at least 40 times the monthly rent. For example, if the 2-bedroom FMR is $800/mo, you need approximately $32,000/year. HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of market rates, so actual costs may vary.
How does 2-bedroom FMR compare to 1-bedroom FMR? ▼
Two-bedroom FMRs are typically 20–35% higher than 1-bedroom FMRs in the same county. The premium varies by market, competitive urban markets often show a larger gap, while rural areas tend to have smaller differences between bedroom sizes.
Can I use 2-bedroom FMR data for Section 8 housing? ▼
Yes. HUD's Fair Market Rents are used to determine Section 8 housing voucher payment standards. If you have a 2-bedroom voucher, HUD's 2-bedroom FMR for your area sets the ceiling for what the program will subsidize (landlords may charge more, but only up to that limit).

How to read this ranking

2-bedroom is the size HUD most often uses as the household benchmark - the figure most relevant to a family-sized Section 8 voucher in FY2026.

  • FMR is HUD's Section 8 payment-standard ceiling near the local 40th-percentile gross rent, not a live listing-site asking price. Full methodology
  • A cheap 2-BR county is not automatically an affordable one for that household - check it against local median income. Rent burden rankings
  • Compare across bedroom sizes: the gap between 1-BR and 2-BR FMR varies widely by metro, driven by local family-housing demand. Cheapest 1-BR ranking

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FY2026 Fair Market Rents. This ranking is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Cheapest Studio → Cheapest 1-BR → Cheapest 3-BR → Most expensive areas → Rent growth rankings →

Rankings based on FY 2026 Fair Market Rents (FMR) published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Counties sorted by 2-bedroom FMR ascending. Metro areas sorted by 1-bedroom FMR (HUD benchmark); 2-BR shown for reference.

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.