HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Alleghany County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Alleghany County is $978 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$978
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$880 to $1,076
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
64th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Alleghany moves to $1,048. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Alleghany actually rent for?
Search any address in Alleghany for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $740 | $666 to $814 | $29,600 | $14.23/hr | +3.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $745 | $671 to $820 | $29,800 | $14.33/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $978 | $880 to $1,076 | $39,120 | $18.81/hr | +3.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,173 | $1,056 to $1,290 | $46,920 | $22.56/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,470 | $1,323 to $1,617 | $58,800 | $28.27/hr | +3.2% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,691 | $1,522 to $1,860 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,911 | $1,720 to $2,102 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,132 | $1,919 to $2,345 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,352 | $2,117 to $2,587 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Alleghany, that runs from $740 for a studio up to $1,470 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Alleghany sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Ennice included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Alleghany ranks 64th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,086 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 10,989 people live here, 94th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 28668 (Roaring Gap) and $1,010 in 28675 (Sparta), with the 5 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Alleghany somewhere between $880 and $1,076. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$978 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,120 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($880) | HAP at 100% ($978) | HAP at 110% ($1,076) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $130 | $228 | $326 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($947) to FY 2026 ($978). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% a year. The North Carolina median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $506 | $509 | $671 | $846 | $1,054 | — |
| FY 2021 | $522 | $526 | $693 | $862 | $1,180 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $557 | $561 | $738 | $912 | $1,250 | +6.5% |
| FY 2023 | $589 | $593 | $780 | $949 | $1,329 | +5.7% |
| FY 2024 | $651 | $655 | $861 | $1,041 | $1,461 | +10.4% |
| FY 2025 | $717 | $722 | $947 | $1,141 | $1,424 | +10.0% |
| FY 2026 | $740 | $745 | $978 | $1,173 | $1,470 | +3.3% |
| FY 2027 | $796 | $801 | $1,048 | $1,249 | $1,585 | +7.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$978 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $740 for a studio, $745 for one bedroom, $1,173 for three and $1,470 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Alleghany actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Alleghany for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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