Rents are 4% below what Bessemer's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,349 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Bessemer is 0.6% below its high of $1,357 in June 2026, at $1,349 as of September 2026.
Rent in Bessemer changed +1.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 48 Alabama cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.3%.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($39,613) is $990 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($890); a 1-bedroom is $1,010.
Midfield, 7 miles away, rents for 20% less ($1,075/mo), about $3,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Bessemer. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Bessemer, AL is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income below the national average, 15.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Bessemer, AL has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Bessemer, AL has shifted from $1,099 to $1,349, up 22.7% since 2022. Median household income climbed from $32,416 to $39,613 between 2021 and 2024, a 22.2% shift. Census counts show Bessemer, AL losing about 771 residents over the five-year window, down 2.9% on net. The renter share has eased from 46.8% to 42.6%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 13.6% to 15.6% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Bessemer, AL reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,349/mo, how Bessemer rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Bessemer rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Bessemer. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Bessemer
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Bessemer is $1,349/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $890/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,130/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,010/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,420/mo.
At 41% of local median household income ($39,613/yr), Bessemer ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Bessemer rent compare to other cities in Alabama?
At $1,349/mo, rent takes ~41% of Bessemer's median household income ($39,613/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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