How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Chattanooga? (FY2027 Payment Standards by ZIP)
Chattanooga is one of the metros where HUD makes housing authorities set Section 8 rent ceilings ZIP code by ZIP code, so the number you are looking for depends on where the apartment is. For FY2027, the 2-bedroom Small Area Fair Market Rent runs from $1,000 in ZIP 37308 to $1,820 in ZIP 37363 across the 26 ZIP codes in Hamilton County, a gap of roughly half again.
Here's how to read those numbers, what they look like across the metro, and what they mean whether you hold a voucher or own a building.
The FY2027 Numbers: Low ZIP vs. High ZIP
Two ZIP codes at opposite ends of Hamilton County show how far the FY2027 figures move:
| Bedrooms | ZIP 37308 | ZIP 37363 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $830 | $1,600 |
| 1 BR | $850 | $1,670 |
| 2 BR | $1,000 | $1,820 |
| 3 BR | $1,230 | $2,250 |
| 4 BR | $1,370 | $2,390 |
Split the 26 ZIP codes in Hamilton County down the middle and the median 2-bedroom figure is $1,410, at ZIP 37351. For reference, HUD's metro-wide FMR for the Chattanooga, TN-GA area is $1,340 for a 2-bedroom, which is roughly what every ZIP would get if the metro weren't a Small Area FMR area.
Treat these as the starting point, not the final word. A payment standard is set by each housing authority, usually somewhere between 90% and 110% of HUD's figure, and it can differ by authority inside the same metro. Check the number for your ZIP and bedroom size with the PHA that issued your voucher. Our Chattanooga Section 8 guide list the ZIP-level data, and HUD's SAFMR dataset is the primary source.
Beyond Hamilton County: The Whole Metro
The Chattanooga, TN-GA area takes in 71 ZIP codes in the FY2027 data, and the range widens once you leave Hamilton County: the 2-bedroom figure runs from $1,000 in ZIP 30725 (Walker County) to $1,820 in ZIP 37363 (Hamilton County), with a metro-wide median of $1,200.
To see the full ladder rather than just the two ends, here are five ZIPs spread evenly across the 71 in the metro:
| ZIP | County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30725 | Walker County | $920 | $1,000 | $1,260 |
| 30707 | Walker County | $980 | $1,070 | $1,320 |
| 30741 | Walker County | $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,480 |
| 37409 | Hamilton County | $1,320 | $1,440 | $1,780 |
| 37363 | Hamilton County | $1,670 | $1,820 | $2,250 |
FY2026 to FY2027: The Change Effective October 1, 2026
HUD's metro-wide 2-bedroom FMR for Chattanooga went down 3.6% from FY2026 to FY2027: $1,390 to $1,340. Across the 71 ZIP codes HUD published in both years, the 2-bedroom figure rose in 15 and fell in 55, holding in 1. The steepest cut was ZIP 30757, $1,200 to $1,080; the biggest increase was ZIP 37367, $980 to $1,090. If you already rent with a voucher and stay put, you are protected for at least two years: the housing authority may keep your current payment standard, and it cannot reduce it sooner than two years after the decrease takes effect, or without written notice (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)). If you are shopping now, the ceiling for a new lease is lower than the number a landlord may remember from last year.
What You Actually Pay as a Tenant
The formula is the same everywhere in the country: you pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income, and the housing assistance payment fills the gap up to the standard for your ZIP and unit size. A household bringing in $2,400 a month pays about $720; at the median 2-bedroom figure for Hamilton County of $1,410, the authority covers up to $690.
The ZIP-based system exists to let voucher holders reach higher-cost neighborhoods: a voucher that only stretches to $1,000 in one ZIP is worth $1,820 in another, and your own payment doesn't move with it. If a landlord asks for more than the standard, you can sometimes pay the difference yourself, but the authority caps your total share at 40% of income at move-in.
Chattanooga Landlords: What the Standard Means for You
A voucher tenancy in Chattanooga means the authority pays its share directly every month, the unit passes an inspection up front, and turnover is typically lower than market-rate. Where the ZIP-level standard is close to market rent, that stability is the whole pitch; where the standard runs below market, you can still list and let the PHA's rent reasonableness review decide.
Tennessee has a source-of-income law on the books (Tennessee has no source-of-income protection), but it does not protect housing voucher holders, so a private landlord can decline a voucher here unless a local ordinance says otherwise. What a landlord cannot do is refuse on the basis of race, disability, familial status, or another federally protected trait.
Own rentals in the Chattanooga metro area? List them free on VoucherMatch; tenants here search by ZIP code and voucher type.
Who Administers Section 8 in Chattanooga
Which authority runs your voucher determines your paperwork, your inspections, and the exact payment standard applied. The largest programs in the Chattanooga metro area:
- Chattanooga Housing Authority, (423) 752-4893, about 3,900 vouchers
- Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency, (423) 949-2191, about 230 vouchers
- Cleveland Housing Authority, (423) 479-9659, about 230 vouchers
- Housing Authority of the City of Ringgold, (706) 935-3028
- Housing Authority of the City of Fort Oglethorpe, (706) 866-3303
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 2-bedroom Section 8 voucher worth in Chattanooga in FY2027? It depends on the ZIP code: HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMRs for 2-bedrooms range from $1,000 (37308) to $1,820 (37363) across the 26 ZIPs in Hamilton County, with a median around $1,410. Your PHA's payment standard is set from these figures.
Why does my voucher cover more in some neighborhoods than others? The Chattanooga metro area is a mandatory Small Area FMR metro, so HUD publishes a separate FMR for every ZIP code instead of one metro-wide number. The ceiling moves with local rents.
Can a Chattanooga landlord refuse my voucher? Under state law, yes: Tennessee's source-of-income law does not cover housing vouchers, so a private landlord can decline a voucher unless a local ordinance forbids it. Refusal based on race, disability, familial status, or another federally protected trait is still illegal.
Do these numbers include utilities? The standards assume rent plus a utility allowance fit within the ceiling. If you pay utilities yourself, the approvable rent drops by the allowance for your unit size. The mechanics are the same ones we cover in our utility allowance guide, with Chattanooga's own allowance schedules.
Where can I see the number for my exact ZIP? Our Chattanooga Section 8 guide list payment data ZIP by ZIP, or check HUD's SAFMR lookup and confirm with your housing authority.
Comparing metros? We have the same breakdown for Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and a Tennessee Section 8 overview.
Searching in Chattanooga with a voucher? Browse voucher-friendly listings from landlords who want your business.
Chattanooga landlord? List your property free. In much of the metro, the voucher pays at or close to market.
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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