Rents are right about where Montgomery's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $1,305 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
December. Asking rents in Montgomery usually run 0.5% below trend in December and 0.5% above it in August, about $13 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Montgomery is 0% below its high of $1,305 in August 2026, at $1,305 as of September 2026.
Rent in Montgomery changed +2.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 48 Alabama cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.3%.
Rent in Montgomery is 45.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
30% of the median household income ($56,811) is $1,420 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,327); a 4-bedroom is $1,659.
The priciest of 9 ZIP codes in Montgomery, 36104 ($1,471/mo), costs 1.5 times the cheapest, 36105 ($994/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Montgomery. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. 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
Montgomery, AL is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 33.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Montgomery, AL has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Montgomery, AL has climbed by $343 per month, settling near $1,305 after starting the period at $962. Household income in the area moved from $49,989 to $56,811 across the same window, up 13.6% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 22.1 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 201,022 to 197,494 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.8% change. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Montgomery, AL look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
Discussions about Montgomery
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Can you afford rent in Montgomery on your salary?
At $1,305/mo, how Montgomery rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Montgomery rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Montgomery. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Montgomery
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Montgomery is $1,305/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $829/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,045/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $878/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,327/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($56,811/yr), Montgomery ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Montgomery?
At $1,305/mo, rent takes ~28% of Montgomery's median household income ($56,811/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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