Section 8 — Mississippi payment standards

Section 8 payment standards
in Mississippi.

The payment standard is the maximum a housing authority will pay toward rent, not what it hands you — the family's share, generally about 30% of adjusted monthly income, comes off it first. HUD sets only the bounds the standard may sit between: 90% to 110% of Fair Market Rent. At Mississippi's median 2-bedroom FMR of $960/mo, that band runs $864 to $1,056/mo. FMR is a gross rent — contract rent plus the utilities the tenant pays — so where the tenant pays utilities, the contract rent reaching you is the band minus that unit's utility allowance. Where inside the band your PHA lands is a local decision, it varies by PHA, and rent reasonableness against comparable unassisted units still applies before any lease is approved. Confirm the exact figure with your housing authority.

Overlay FMR on live listings →Mississippi FMR by bedroom
The band

Mississippi payment standards,
90% to 110% of FMR.

Statewide median Fair Market Rent for Mississippi by unit size, with the floor and ceiling a payment standard may be set between. These are bounds — not a quote.

Data as of 2026-07-14 · HUD FY2026.

bedroomsmedian FMR / mo90% floor110% ceiling
studio / 0 BR$770$693$847
1 BR$810$729$891
2 BR$960$864$1,056
3 BR$1,220$1,098$1,342
4 BR$1,370$1,233$1,507

These are the bounds a PHA may set its payment standard within, and they are gross rents: where the tenant pays utilities, the contract rent that reaches you is the band minus that unit's utility allowance, so the ceiling column is not askable rent. The actual standard is set locally, per bedroom size — and often per ZIP in Small Area FMR metros — and rent reasonableness still applies. Varies by PHA: confirm with your housing authority. Need one address rather than a statewide median? Look up any ZIP, or size a specific unit with the Section 8 rent calculator.

The difference

Mississippi fair market rent vs.
the payment standard.

Two different numbers, set by two different bodies. Most rent that gets rejected was underwritten against the wrong one. How payment standards work.
01

What HUD publishes.

Fair Market Rent, once per federal fiscal year, for each metropolitan FMR area and each nonmetropolitan county — and by ZIP in Small Area FMR metros. It is a gross reference figure, covering contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities, not the payment. What fair market rent is.

median 2 BR FMR$960/mo
median 3 BR FMR$1,220/mo
snapshotHUD FY2026
02

What the PHA sets.

The payment standard — its own maximum, chosen inside the 90–110% band without extra approval. The housing assistance payment is the lower of that standard or the unit's gross rent, minus the family's share of roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income. Above the ceiling it becomes an exception payment standard and generally needs HUD sign-off. Varies by PHA.

90% floor (2 BR)$864/mo
110% ceiling (2 BR)$1,056/mo
above the ceilingHUD approval
03

What still gates the rent.

Rent reasonableness. Even inside the band, the PHA compares your unit against comparable unassisted units nearby, and the unit has to pass inspection before the lease is approved.

rent reasonablenessrequired
unit inspectionrequired
3 BR band$1,098–$1,342
Metro detail

Mississippi payment standards by metro.

The Mississippi HUD areas with their own published Fair Market Rent, and the band each one implies for a 2-bedroom. In a Small Area FMR metro the band moves ZIP by ZIP inside the same city.

Metro data as of 2026-07-24 · HUD FY2026.

metro / HUD areaZIPs2 BR FMR90% floor110% ceiling
Jackson51$1,250$1,125$1,375

Bands computed from each area's published 2-bedroom FMR, which is a gross rent — subtract the tenant's utility allowance to get the contract rent that reaches you. Payment standards vary by PHA; confirm with your housing authority.

FAQ

Mississippi payment standards, answered.

What landlords and investors ask before pricing a Mississippi voucher unit. Comparing states before you buy? Best Section 8 markets.
— Mississippi payment standards —
What is the Section 8 payment standard in Mississippi?
There is no single statewide number. HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent sets the band a housing authority works inside: at Mississippi's median 2-bedroom FMR of $960/mo, the payment standard falls between $864 and $1,056/mo, and for a 3-bedroom between $1,098 and $1,342/mo. That figure is the maximum toward rent, not a payment — the family's share, generally about 30% of adjusted monthly income, comes off it first — and it is measured against gross rent, so tenant-paid utilities come out of it too. Each public housing authority picks its own number inside that band — it varies by PHA, so confirm the exact figure with the housing authority covering your address.
— Mississippi payment standards —
Can a Section 8 payment standard exceed 110% of Fair Market Rent?
Above 110% of FMR it becomes an exception payment standard, which generally requires HUD approval, and a PHA can also approve a higher amount as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability. Thresholds and approval rules vary by PHA and by state — confirm with your housing authority before you underwrite a Mississippi 2-bedroom above the $1,056/mo ceiling shown here.
— Mississippi payment standards —
Does the housing authority have to pay the Fair Market Rent?
No. Fair Market Rent is the reference HUD publishes, not a guaranteed payment, and no housing authority pays a full payment standard either. The PHA sets its standard somewhere in the 90%-110% band, and the housing assistance payment is the lower of that standard or the unit's gross rent, minus the family's total tenant payment — generally about 30% of adjusted monthly income. Because FMR is a gross rent, tenant-paid utilities come out of it as well. Rent reasonableness against comparable unassisted units still has to clear before a lease is approved, and a Mississippi unit can be approved below FMR.
— Mississippi payment standards —
How do I find my PHA's exact payment standard in Mississippi?
Ask the housing authority that administers the voucher. Payment standards are published per PHA, per bedroom size, and are often ZIP-specific in Small Area FMR metros. Start from the Mississippi Fair Market Rent for the ZIP you are buying in, then call the PHA covering that address to confirm the current figure — it varies by PHA, and nothing on this page replaces that call.
— Mississippi payment standards —
Are Section 8 payment standards changing in 2026?
The band on this page is computed from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents, snapshot 2026-07-14. HUD republishes FMRs each federal fiscal year, and each PHA then decides whether to move its payment standard inside the new 90%-110% band — some adopt the change right away, some at the next annual recertification. It varies by PHA, so confirm with your housing authority.
Nearby states

Compare neighbors.

Payment-standard bands for the states next door.
Louisiana payment standards →Alabama payment standards →Tennessee payment standards →Arkansas payment standards →
Live · all 50 states

Know the ceiling before you offer.

Verleon AI overlays HUD Fair Market Rents and DSCR on every active listing in Mississippi — and all 50 states — so you see the voucher band and the underwriting before you write the offer. Background reading: the Section 8 investing guide.

Try Verleon AI →DSCR calculator

Data source: HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents (Small Area FMRs where published). Statewide medians snapshot 2026-07-14; metro-area figures snapshot 2026-07-24. The 90% and 110% columns are the bounds a public housing authority may set a voucher payment standard within — not the standard itself, which is set locally and varies by PHA, and not a payment: the family's share comes off it first. FMR is a gross rent covering contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities. Figures are for research and do not guarantee approved rent on any specific unit.

DSCR loans, demystified →Section 8 FMR by state →Best markets for cash flow →BRRRR strategy, real numbers →How to analyze a rental →Verleon vs. PropStream →
Not investment advice. Verleon AI provides analytical tooling for real-estate professionals. Underwriting outputs (DSCR, cap rate, Section 8 FMR estimates, scores) are modeled from public and licensed data and are not a substitute for independent due diligence, legal counsel, lender pre-approval, or licensed appraisal. Past performance is not indicative of future results.