70809 Baton Rouge, LA Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 70809 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 70809 (Baton Rouge, LA) is covered by Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,260 for a 1-bedroom, studio $1,230, 2-bedroom $1,430, 3-bedroom $1,790, and 4-bedroom $2,310. 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 East Baton Rouge can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 31% above the US average of $959, and 51% above the LA state average of $832.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,260, that implies a household income of $50,400 per year (about $4,200/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,430 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 70809 has a population of 25,050 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%).