State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Georgia: County Rent Burden

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

24.6%
State avg 2BR burden
20
Counties over 30% (of 159)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Georgia

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 Georgia. Across the 159 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 24.6%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Georgia sits 2.9 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Georgia, 20 of 159 counties (13%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Randolph County at 48.5%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,028 eats that share of the local median income of $25,425. 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 Georgia counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Georgia and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
24.6%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
20
of 159
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 Randolph County $783 $1,028 37% 48.5%
2 Clayton County $1,660 $1,820 34% 37.3%
3 Jasper County $1,660 $1,820 33.4% 36.7%
4 Spalding County $1,660 $1,820 33.1% 36.3%
5 Hancock County $770 $973 27.8% 35.2%
6 Heard County $1,660 $1,820 31.7% 34.7%
7 Stewart County $843 $973 28.9% 33.4%
8 Brantley County $1,105 $1,293 27.7% 32.5%
9 Lanier County $921 $1,192 24.9% 32.2%
10 Quitman County $770 $973 25.1% 31.7%
11 Jenkins County $770 $973 25% 31.6%
12 Macon County $742 $973 24% 31.4%
13 Sumter County $829 $1,088 23.8% 31.2%
14 Bibb County $1,158 $1,307 27.4% 30.9%
15 Terrell County $1,006 $1,129 27.6% 30.9%
16 McIntosh County $1,105 $1,293 26.3% 30.8%
17 Clarke County $1,183 $1,331 27.2% 30.6%
18 Atkinson County $760 $973 23.7% 30.4%
19 Carroll County $1,660 $1,820 27.5% 30.2%
20 Rockdale County $1,660 $1,820 27.5% 30.2%
21 Brooks County $921 $1,192 23.2% 30%
22 Ben Hill County $793 $973 24.3% 29.9%
23 Burke County $1,114 $1,261 26.3% 29.8%
24 Walker County $1,263 $1,390 27.1% 29.8%
25 Newton County $1,660 $1,820 27% 29.6%
26 Turner County $770 $973 23.4% 29.5%
27 Chatham County $1,533 $1,680 26.4% 29%
28 Dougherty County $1,006 $1,129 25.8% 29%
29 Pickens County $1,660 $1,820 26.5% 29%
30 Jeff Davis County $770 $973 22.6% 28.6%
31 Liberty County $1,283 $1,406 26.1% 28.6%
32 Webster County $770 $973 22.7% 28.6%
33 Richmond County $1,114 $1,261 25.1% 28.4%
34 Dade County $1,263 $1,390 25.7% 28.3%
35 Twiggs County $1,158 $1,307 25.1% 28.3%
36 Barrow County $1,660 $1,820 25.7% 28.2%
37 DeKalb County $1,660 $1,820 25.6% 28.1%
38 McDuffie County $1,114 $1,261 24.7% 28%
39 Taylor County $888 $973 25.5% 28%
40 Ware County $786 $1,031 21% 27.6%
41 Bartow County $1,660 $1,820 25.1% 27.5%
42 Crisp County $785 $973 22% 27.3%
43 Madison County $1,183 $1,331 24.1% 27.2%
44 Washington County $797 $999 21.7% 27.2%
45 Douglas County $1,660 $1,820 24.7% 27%
46 Henry County $1,660 $1,820 24.4% 26.8%
47 Appling County $770 $973 21.1% 26.7%
48 Treutlen County $742 $973 20.4% 26.7%
49 Walton County $1,660 $1,820 24.2% 26.5%
50 Baker County $770 $973 20.8% 26.3%
51 Telfair County $852 $973 22.7% 26%
52 Elbert County $836 $1,074 20.2% 25.9%
53 Marion County $939 $1,088 22.3% 25.9%
54 Pike County $1,660 $1,820 23.7% 25.9%
55 Talbot County $843 $973 22.4% 25.9%
56 Crawford County $1,158 $1,307 22.8% 25.8%
57 Wheeler County $770 $973 20.4% 25.8%
58 Gwinnett County $1,660 $1,820 23.5% 25.7%
59 Charlton County $790 $1,036 19.5% 25.6%
60 Lowndes County $921 $1,192 19.8% 25.6%
61 Troup County $947 $1,167 20.7% 25.5%
62 Pulaski County $858 $1,003 21.6% 25.2%
63 Jefferson County $793 $973 20.4% 25.1%
64 Warren County $770 $973 19.8% 25%
65 Wilkinson County $770 $973 19.8% 25%
66 Bulloch County $898 $1,178 19% 24.9%
67 Wayne County $778 $1,021 18.8% 24.7%
68 Dawson County $1,660 $1,820 22.4% 24.5%
69 Chattooga County $794 $973 19.9% 24.4%
70 Taliaferro County $770 $973 19.2% 24.3%
71 Wilcox County $770 $973 19.2% 24.3%
72 Irwin County $862 $1,089 19.2% 24.2%
73 Clay County $770 $973 19% 24%
74 Fulton County $1,660 $1,820 21.8% 23.9%
75 Worth County $1,006 $1,129 21.1% 23.7%
76 Effingham County $1,533 $1,680 21.5% 23.6%
77 Lincoln County $758 $995 17.9% 23.6%
78 Seminole County $770 $973 18.6% 23.6%
79 Colquitt County $742 $973 17.9% 23.5%
80 Hall County $1,381 $1,514 21.4% 23.5%
81 Laurens County $742 $973 17.9% 23.5%
82 Franklin County $775 $1,017 17.8% 23.4%
83 Coffee County $885 $973 21.2% 23.3%
84 Cook County $770 $973 18.4% 23.3%
85 Dodge County $742 $973 17.8% 23.3%
86 Emanuel County $888 $973 21.3% 23.3%
87 Bacon County $770 $973 18.4% 23.2%
88 Baldwin County $894 $1,073 19.4% 23.2%
89 Berrien County $742 $973 17.7% 23.2%
90 Candler County $770 $973 18.3% 23.2%
91 Coweta County $1,660 $1,820 21.2% 23.2%
92 Echols County $921 $1,192 17.9% 23.2%
93 Decatur County $850 $973 20.2% 23.1%
94 Muscogee County $939 $1,088 19.9% 23.1%
95 Paulding County $1,660 $1,820 21.1% 23.1%
96 Stephens County $767 $1,006 17.6% 23.1%
97 Catoosa County $1,263 $1,390 20.9% 23%
98 Jones County $1,158 $1,307 20.4% 23%
99 Floyd County $923 $1,192 17.7% 22.9%
100 Oglethorpe County $1,183 $1,331 20.3% 22.9%
101 Thomas County $1,048 $1,149 20.9% 22.9%
102 Upson County $888 $973 20.9% 22.9%
103 Montgomery County $742 $973 17.4% 22.8%
104 Glynn County $1,105 $1,293 19.3% 22.6%
105 Mitchell County $888 $973 20.5% 22.5%
106 Tattnall County $742 $973 17% 22.3%
107 Wilkes County $770 $973 17.6% 22.2%
108 Cobb County $1,660 $1,820 20.2% 22.1%
109 Pierce County $794 $1,042 16.8% 22.1%
110 Polk County $776 $1,018 16.8% 22.1%
111 Bleckley County $742 $973 16.8% 22%
112 Chattahoochee County $939 $1,088 19% 22%
113 Screven County $742 $973 16.8% 22%
114 Tift County $821 $973 18.5% 22%
115 Butts County $977 $1,075 19.8% 21.8%
116 Hart County $821 $1,042 17.2% 21.8%
117 Rabun County $851 $1,117 16.6% 21.8%
118 Early County $888 $973 19.8% 21.7%
119 Evans County $742 $973 16.5% 21.7%
120 Toombs County $784 $973 17.4% 21.6%
121 Grady County $742 $973 16.4% 21.5%
122 Johnson County $888 $973 19.7% 21.5%
123 Bryan County $1,533 $1,680 19.5% 21.4%
124 Meriwether County $763 $1,001 16.2% 21.3%
125 Putnam County $898 $1,134 16.8% 21.2%
126 Glascock County $770 $973 16.7% 21.1%
127 Calhoun County $770 $973 16.6% 21%
128 Clinch County $770 $973 16.6% 21%
129 Long County $1,034 $1,133 19.2% 21%
130 Whitfield County $899 $1,121 16.8% 20.9%
131 Cherokee County $1,660 $1,820 18.9% 20.7%
132 Dooly County $770 $973 16.3% 20.6%
133 Lumpkin County $1,136 $1,245 18.8% 20.6%
134 Haralson County $844 $1,107 15.6% 20.4%
135 Camden County $1,117 $1,225 18.5% 20.3%
136 White County $948 $1,177 16.3% 20.3%
137 Houston County $1,221 $1,362 18.1% 20.2%
138 Morgan County $1,315 $1,442 18.4% 20.2%
139 Fannin County $742 $973 15.3% 20.1%
140 Fayette County $1,660 $1,820 18.3% 20%
141 Miller County $770 $973 15.8% 20%
142 Towns County $888 $973 18.2% 20%
143 Peach County $1,030 $1,129 18.1% 19.8%
144 Gordon County $833 $1,011 16.1% 19.6%
145 Schley County $770 $973 15.5% 19.6%
146 Habersham County $855 $1,018 15.6% 18.6%
147 Union County $750 $984 13.7% 18%
148 Murray County $827 $1,009 14.6% 17.8%
149 Gilmer County $830 $1,036 13.7% 17.1%
150 Lamar County $759 $973 13.3% 17.1%
151 Banks County $770 $973 13.4% 17%
152 Monroe County $1,048 $1,174 15.2% 17%
153 Jackson County $1,004 $1,153 14.2% 16.3%
154 Forsyth County $1,660 $1,820 14.4% 15.8%
155 Columbia County $1,114 $1,261 13.9% 15.7%
156 Lee County $1,006 $1,129 13.7% 15.4%
157 Harris County $939 $1,088 12.6% 14.6%
158 Greene County $808 $973 11.5% 13.8%
159 Oconee County $1,183 $1,331 12.2% 13.8%
National burden rankings → All Georgia rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Georgia? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Georgia is 24.6% of household income. 20 of 159 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Georgia are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Randolph County at 48.5% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Georgia compare to the national average? ▼
Georgia's average rent burden is 24.6% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 2.9 percentage points higher 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.