Jefferson County, AL

For the 12 selected direct-ZORI ZIPs in June 2026, Zillow’s typical observed asking-rent index ranges from $1,075 to $1,875: an $800 spread around a $1,309 median. The selected-set median sits below Jefferson County’s $1,399 Zillow ZORI; the county index was up 1.1% year over year. This distribution makes the practical question less about identifying a single countywide rent and more about deciding whether a prospective unit’s current ask belongs near the lower, middle, or upper part of the observed range, then testing its affordability and lease terms. The figures describe a selected direct-evidence set rather than a full inventory, so they should anchor initial price screening, not establish a universal local price.

The three datasets answer distinct questions and should remain separate. In ZIP 35211, the direct Zillow index was $1,396 while the HUD two-bedroom standard was $1,150; in ZIP 35205, the corresponding figures were $1,080 and $1,400. The contrast is not a premium-or-discount measure: ZORI tracks a typical observed asking rent, whereas HUD FMR/SAFMR is a bedroom-specific administrative standard. ACS 2024 five-year ZCTA median gross rents for those areas were $1,030 and $1,084, respectively. Those survey estimates reflect occupied-unit gross rent and have different timing and coverage, so they cannot be combined with Zillow or HUD into one ranking. Use Zillow for asking-rent context, HUD for applicable standard checks, and ACS for historical survey context.

Affordability stress does not line up mechanically with the selected ZORI range. ACS ZCTA estimates put renter households spending 30% or more of income on rent between 43.2% and 58.5%, compared with 53.5% countywide. ZIP 35206 combines a 56.5% burden estimate with an 18.6% vacancy rate, while ZIP 35244 records a 3.8% vacancy rate. These are not conflicting signals: burden concerns surveyed renter household finances, while vacancy describes the housing stock rather than a real-time count of rentable units. A lower observed asking index or a higher vacancy estimate therefore does not itself resolve tenant affordability or confirm that a suitable unit is available. Screen both the household payment constraint and property-specific availability without treating either measure as the cause of the other.

Coverage and geography require a final check before acting. The display contains 12 of 26 eligible direct-ZORI ZIP/ZCTA matches and covers 58,298 renter households; it is not a countywide list. For Jefferson County, ACS values are reported for Census-defined ZCTAs, whose boundaries and identifiers do not perfectly track the USPS ZIP used for mail delivery. County assignment instead follows the largest HUD residential-address share, which matters for cross-county ZIPs: 35244’s assigned share is 55.1%. Verify the complete property address and county, actual bedroom count, current listing rent, all fees and utility treatment, lease duration, move-in date, and unit availability. For any HUD use, confirm the relevant bedroom-specific standard and eligibility rather than applying the displayed comparison mechanically.