Madison County, AL

Across the selected direct-evidence ZIP set, Zillow’s June 2026 ZORI—a typical observed asking-rent index—runs from $1,114 in ZIP 35816 to $1,818 in ZIP 35749. That is a $704 spread, broad enough that a countywide screen should start with the decision question: which part of the observed range fits the household’s budget, needed bedroom count, and move timing? The range is an index comparison, not a set of available units or quoted leases. It is useful for bracketing a search, while each candidate listing still needs its own price and terms checked.

Zillow, ACS, and HUD illuminate distinct evidence universes and should not be merged into one rent estimate. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR is $1,310 for every displayed entry; the reported ZORI readings sit at 85.0% to 138.8% of that administrative standard. FMR is a bedroom-specific program standard rather than an asking rent, while ZORI is not an ACS survey result. Separately, ACS five-year ZCTA median gross rents range from $909 to $1,542 and are retrospective estimates rather than current listings. ZORI-based income screens at thirty percent run from $44,560 to $72,720 annually, useful for preliminary budgeting but not a statement of any household’s affordability.

ACS ZCTA burden and vacancy measures sharpen the choice-versus-pressure trade-off but do not identify a unit’s availability. The share of renters paying at least thirty percent of income toward rent ranges from 28.8% to 58.9%, while vacancy ranges from 2.9% to 14.8%. At the high-vacancy end, ZIP 35816 pairs that maximum with a 48.3% burden share; ZIP 35749 pairs the minimum with a 35.6% burden share. These contrasts support checking both budget pressure and the breadth of apparent stock, but higher survey vacancy neither guarantees an open unit nor demonstrates concessions, and burden shares do not price the next lease.

Coverage and geography limit how far the comparison can travel. The display shows 12 of 13 eligible direct-ZORI ZIP/ZCTA matches, covering 47,556 renter households, so it is not an exhaustive county or local-area inventory. Census ZCTAs are statistical areas rather than USPS delivery ZIPs. Display assignment follows the largest HUD residential-address county share: ZIP 35749 has a 75.5% Madison County share, meaning some associated addresses are outside the county. Before choosing a property, verify the exact bedroom count, advertised rent, lease term, availability date, utilities and recurring fees, deposit and screening rules, and the specific unit’s condition. Compare those listing facts to the appropriate HUD bedroom standard and the household’s own income rather than treating an index or survey estimate as a quote.