State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Alabama: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Alabama county, FY 2026.

21.3%
State avg 2BR burden
3
Counties over 30% (of 67)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Alabama

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in Alabama. Across the 67 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 21.3%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Alabama sits 0.4 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Alabama, 3 of 67 counties (4%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Greene County at 43.4%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,140 eats that share of the local median income of $31,495. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Alabama counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Alabama and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
21.3%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
3
of 67
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Greene County $869 $1,140 33.1% 43.4%
2 Lowndes County $870 $1,016 29.7% 34.7%
3 Hale County $972 $1,169 28.2% 33.9%
4 Bibb County $1,155 $1,266 27.1% 29.7%
5 Perry County $636 $803 22.2% 28%
6 Dallas County $637 $836 20.8% 27.3%
7 Russell County $939 $1,088 22.5% 26.1%
8 Sumter County $642 $827 20.3% 26.1%
9 Macon County $758 $995 19.8% 26%
10 Bullock County $708 $776 23.1% 25.4%
11 Blount County $1,155 $1,266 22.7% 24.9%
12 Chambers County $770 $1,002 18.7% 24.4%
13 Wilcox County $656 $843 18.6% 24%
14 Jefferson County $1,155 $1,266 21.5% 23.5%
15 Lee County $1,077 $1,181 21.1% 23.2%
16 Monroe County $619 $776 18.5% 23.1%
17 Pike County $695 $912 17.4% 22.8%
18 Butler County $638 $837 17.1% 22.4%
19 Geneva County $762 $950 17.9% 22.4%
20 Mobile County $919 $1,083 19% 22.4%
21 Conecuh County $615 $776 17.5% 22%
22 Tuscaloosa County $972 $1,169 18.2% 21.9%
23 Baldwin County $1,200 $1,345 19.2% 21.5%
24 Marengo County $693 $783 18.8% 21.3%
25 Colbert County $775 $1,000 16.4% 21.2%
26 Barbour County $693 $776 18.8% 21%
27 Choctaw County $616 $778 16.6% 21%
28 Escambia County $675 $776 18.2% 21%
29 Etowah County $792 $927 17.9% 21%
30 Montgomery County $870 $1,016 18% 21%
31 Calhoun County $757 $962 16.3% 20.7%
32 Lauderdale County $775 $1,000 15.7% 20.3%
33 Cherokee County $682 $844 16.1% 19.9%
34 Houston County $762 $950 15.9% 19.8%
35 Pickens County $591 $776 15.1% 19.8%
36 Lamar County $636 $776 16.1% 19.6%
37 Cleburne County $687 $867 15.5% 19.5%
38 Walker County $724 $886 15.9% 19.5%
39 Washington County $818 $983 16.2% 19.5%
40 Winston County $631 $776 15.8% 19.4%
41 Clarke County $603 $791 14.7% 19.3%
42 Lawrence County $776 $961 15.5% 19.2%
43 St. Clair County $1,155 $1,266 17.5% 19.2%
44 Crenshaw County $591 $776 14.5% 19%
45 Chilton County $739 $970 14.3% 18.8%
46 Jackson County $643 $776 15.6% 18.8%
47 Limestone County $1,136 $1,310 16.3% 18.8%
48 Madison County $1,136 $1,310 16.3% 18.8%
49 Fayette County $671 $776 15.9% 18.4%
50 Marion County $591 $776 14% 18.4%
51 Covington County $591 $776 13.9% 18.3%
52 DeKalb County $591 $776 13.9% 18.2%
53 Franklin County $704 $776 16.4% 18.1%
54 Randolph County $634 $778 14.8% 18.1%
55 Clay County $591 $776 13.7% 18%
56 Tallapoosa County $663 $857 13.9% 18%
57 Morgan County $776 $961 14.4% 17.8%
58 Autauga County $870 $1,016 14.9% 17.5%
59 Henry County $669 $878 13.3% 17.5%
60 Talladega County $682 $814 14.5% 17.4%
61 Coffee County $711 $933 13.2% 17.3%
62 Cullman County $670 $879 13.2% 17.3%
63 Dale County $690 $776 15.3% 17.3%
64 Coosa County $615 $776 12.9% 16.3%
65 Shelby County $1,155 $1,266 14.8% 16.2%
66 Elmore County $870 $1,016 13.8% 16.1%
67 Marshall County $591 $776 11.6% 15.3%
National burden rankings → All Alabama rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Alabama? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Alabama is 21.3% of household income. 3 of 67 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Alabama are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Greene County at 43.4% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Alabama compare to the national average? ▼
Alabama's average rent burden is 21.3% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 0.4 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

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