Rents are 12% below what Buford'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 $2,120 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
January. Asking rents in Buford usually run 0.8% below trend in January and 0.5% above it in August, about $28 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Buford is 0.1% below its high of $2,122 in April 2025, at $2,120 as of September 2026.
Rent in Buford changed +0.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 115 Georgia cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Buford rose 40.9% while median household income rose 16.1% ($59,855 to $69,471). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Buford is 42.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($69,471) is $1,737 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,825).
Flowery Branch, 6 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,849/mo), about $3,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Buford. 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
Buford, GA is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, 29.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Buford, GA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Buford, GA has increased by $416 per month, settling near $2,120 after starting the period at $1,704. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $54,321 in 2021 to $69,471 more recently. Income growth outran rent by about 3.5 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 16,811 to 17,997 between 2021 and 2024, a 7.1% change. About 31.8% of households rent today, against 34.4% in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Buford, GA market of 2021.
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At $2,120/mo, how Buford rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Buford rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Buford. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Buford
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Buford is $2,120/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,825/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,115/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,910/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,550/mo.
At 37% of local median household income ($69,471/yr), Buford ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Buford?
At $2,120/mo, rent takes ~37% of Buford's median household income ($69,471/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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