North Carolina Fair Market Rents 2026
HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 100 counties in North Carolina. It is the rent estimate your housing authority starts from when it decides how much a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher will cover. The statewide median two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,086 per month, ranging from $925 in Ashe County to $1,835 in Buncombe County.
What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in North Carolina
Housing wage
$27.14/hr
Annual income needed
$56,451
Hours at minimum wage
150/wk
To rent a modest two-bedroom in North Carolina without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $27.14 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $7.25, that means working 150 hours a week. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2025.
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FY2026 Fair Market Rents by County
| County | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $992 | $1,230 | $1,348 | $1,670 | $1,972 |
| Alexander County | $858 | $908 | $1,095 | $1,372 | $1,660 |
| Alleghany County | $740 | $745 | $978 | $1,173 | $1,470 |
| Anson County | $785 | $867 | $1,138 | $1,364 | $1,654 |
| Ashe County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,220 | $1,225 |
| Avery County | $761 | $766 | $1,005 | $1,205 | $1,510 |
| Beaufort County | $732 | $737 | $925 | $1,220 | $1,552 |
| Bertie County | $790 | $796 | $1,044 | $1,252 | $1,449 |
| Bladen County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,258 | $1,298 |
| Brunswick County | $1,242 | $1,301 | $1,426 | $1,983 | $2,392 |
| Buncombe County | $1,436 | $1,674 | $1,835 | $2,231 | $3,078 |
| Burke County | $858 | $908 | $1,095 | $1,372 | $1,660 |
| Cabarrus County | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 |
| Caldwell County | $858 | $908 | $1,095 | $1,372 | $1,660 |
| Camden County | $1,121 | $1,139 | $1,287 | $1,790 | $2,159 |
| Carteret County | $907 | $913 | $1,198 | $1,541 | $1,966 |
| Caswell County | $743 | $748 | $925 | $1,270 | $1,390 |
| Catawba County | $858 | $908 | $1,095 | $1,372 | $1,660 |
| Chatham County | $1,417 | $1,507 | $1,711 | $2,117 | $2,527 |
| Cherokee County | $645 | $713 | $935 | $1,290 | $1,497 |
| Chowan County | $924 | $930 | $1,220 | $1,463 | $1,615 |
| Clay County | $878 | $948 | $1,039 | $1,429 | $1,561 |
| Cleveland County | $758 | $763 | $925 | $1,286 | $1,322 |
| Columbus County | $718 | $722 | $925 | $1,109 | $1,225 |
| Craven County | $897 | $902 | $1,184 | $1,591 | $1,988 |
| Cumberland County | $1,090 | $1,113 | $1,251 | $1,667 | $2,068 |
| Currituck County | $1,492 | $1,512 | $1,713 | $2,376 | $2,797 |
| Dare County | $1,120 | $1,305 | $1,430 | $1,821 | $1,893 |
| Davidson County | $816 | $876 | $960 | $1,316 | $1,591 |
| Davie County | $995 | $1,082 | $1,232 | $1,607 | $1,898 |
| Duplin County | $742 | $747 | $980 | $1,175 | $1,377 |
| Durham County | $1,417 | $1,507 | $1,711 | $2,117 | $2,527 |
| Edgecombe County | $913 | $918 | $1,143 | $1,550 | $1,812 |
| Forsyth County | $995 | $1,082 | $1,232 | $1,607 | $1,898 |
| Franklin County | $1,524 | $1,596 | $1,750 | $2,196 | $2,936 |
| Gaston County | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 |
| Gates County | $1,489 | $1,513 | $1,709 | $2,364 | $2,794 |
| Graham County | $782 | $844 | $925 | $1,199 | $1,390 |
| Granville County | $1,026 | $1,084 | $1,200 | $1,571 | $1,700 |
| Greene County | $782 | $823 | $925 | $1,189 | $1,390 |
| Guilford County | $1,159 | $1,213 | $1,330 | $1,703 | $1,960 |
| Halifax County | $638 | $742 | $925 | $1,190 | $1,367 |
| Harnett County | $805 | $810 | $980 | $1,363 | $1,644 |
| Haywood County | $1,039 | $1,122 | $1,230 | $1,475 | $1,844 |
| Henderson County | $1,436 | $1,674 | $1,835 | $2,231 | $3,078 |
| Hertford County | $638 | $705 | $925 | $1,210 | $1,225 |
| Hoke County | $756 | $761 | $998 | $1,388 | $1,674 |
| Hyde County | $751 | $756 | $940 | $1,204 | $1,413 |
| Iredell County | $1,167 | $1,222 | $1,340 | $1,809 | $2,248 |
| Jackson County | $840 | $879 | $964 | $1,272 | $1,276 |
| Johnston County | $1,524 | $1,596 | $1,750 | $2,196 | $2,936 |
| Jones County | $748 | $752 | $925 | $1,179 | $1,552 |
| Lee County | $874 | $880 | $1,136 | $1,362 | $1,715 |
| Lenoir County | $727 | $732 | $925 | $1,241 | $1,441 |
| Lincoln County | $917 | $953 | $1,054 | $1,461 | $1,728 |
| Macon County | $681 | $830 | $987 | $1,183 | $1,325 |
| Madison County | $1,436 | $1,674 | $1,835 | $2,231 | $3,078 |
| Martin County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,220 | $1,225 |
| McDowell County | $782 | $790 | $925 | $1,180 | $1,225 |
| Mecklenburg County | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 |
| Mitchell County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,134 | $1,225 |
| Montgomery County | $789 | $794 | $925 | $1,252 | $1,552 |
| Moore County | $1,157 | $1,239 | $1,358 | $1,889 | $2,278 |
| Nash County | $913 | $918 | $1,143 | $1,550 | $1,812 |
| New Hanover County | $1,144 | $1,513 | $1,659 | $2,178 | $2,319 |
| Northampton County | $736 | $741 | $972 | $1,165 | $1,344 |
| Onslow County | $929 | $935 | $1,173 | $1,631 | $1,968 |
| Orange County | $1,417 | $1,507 | $1,711 | $2,117 | $2,527 |
| Pamlico County | $861 | $866 | $1,077 | $1,291 | $1,618 |
| Pasquotank County | $921 | $927 | $1,216 | $1,640 | $1,899 |
| Pender County | $1,016 | $1,064 | $1,166 | $1,622 | $1,956 |
| Perquimans County | $799 | $804 | $999 | $1,382 | $1,387 |
| Person County | $739 | $744 | $948 | $1,318 | $1,377 |
| Pitt County | $891 | $896 | $1,095 | $1,465 | $1,837 |
| Polk County | $824 | $829 | $983 | $1,351 | $1,649 |
| Randolph County | $1,159 | $1,213 | $1,330 | $1,703 | $1,960 |
| Richmond County | $714 | $814 | $925 | $1,286 | $1,406 |
| Robeson County | $744 | $748 | $925 | $1,187 | $1,389 |
| Rockingham County | $717 | $793 | $1,040 | $1,286 | $1,463 |
| Rowan County | $952 | $958 | $1,196 | $1,573 | $2,006 |
| Rutherford County | $801 | $806 | $925 | $1,275 | $1,332 |
| Sampson County | $663 | $806 | $925 | $1,109 | $1,302 |
| Scotland County | $750 | $755 | $925 | $1,244 | $1,249 |
| Stanly County | $638 | $705 | $925 | $1,281 | $1,466 |
| Stokes County | $995 | $1,082 | $1,232 | $1,607 | $1,898 |
| Surry County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,109 | $1,406 |
| Swain County | $806 | $813 | $925 | $1,264 | $1,390 |
| Transylvania County | $1,032 | $1,039 | $1,363 | $1,634 | $2,048 |
| Tyrrell County | $739 | $744 | $925 | $1,286 | $1,390 |
| Union County | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 |
| Vance County | $738 | $743 | $975 | $1,197 | $1,318 |
| Wake County | $1,524 | $1,596 | $1,750 | $2,196 | $2,936 |
| Warren County | $700 | $705 | $925 | $1,172 | $1,239 |
| Washington County | $739 | $744 | $925 | $1,197 | $1,391 |
| Watauga County | $822 | $988 | $1,177 | $1,504 | $1,974 |
| Wayne County | $942 | $948 | $1,244 | $1,496 | $2,021 |
| Wilkes County | $782 | $793 | $925 | $1,233 | $1,538 |
| Wilson County | $789 | $794 | $1,025 | $1,307 | $1,541 |
| Yadkin County | $995 | $1,082 | $1,232 | $1,607 | $1,898 |
| Yancey County | $708 | $713 | $935 | $1,233 | $1,238 |
Find a housing authority in North Carolina
Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling, but the housing authority issuing your voucher sets the payment standard and runs the waiting list. Start there.
For FY2026, Buncombe County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in North Carolina at $1,835 per month, while Ashe County has the lowest at $925. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $1,086.
No. Each housing authority in North Carolina sets its own payment standard, anywhere from 90% to 110% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for its area, and some receive HUD approval to go higher. Two authorities serving the same county can pay different amounts, so confirm the figure with the authority that will issue your voucher.
Find your county in the table below to see the FY2026 rent HUD estimates for each bedroom size. That figure is the starting point your housing authority uses to set its payment standard, which caps the subsidy on your unit. You generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income, with the voucher covering the rest up to that cap.
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026 · huduser.gov