39702 Columbus, MS Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 39702 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 39702 (Columbus, MS) is covered by Lowndes County, MS, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $750 for a 1-bedroom, studio $740, 2-bedroom $880, 3-bedroom $1,200, and 4-bedroom $1,270. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Lowndes can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 22% below the US average of $959, and 4% below the MS state average of $782.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $750, that implies a household income of $30,000 per year (about $2,500/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $880 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 39702 has a population of 22,883 residents, so the gap between these FMR figures and local wages shapes how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%).