HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Avery County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Avery County is $1,005 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,005
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$905 to $1,106
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
57th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Avery moves to $1,012. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Avery actually rent for?
Search any address in Avery 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 | $761 | $685 to $837 | $30,440 | $14.63/hr | -4.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $766 | $689 to $843 | $30,640 | $14.73/hr | -4.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,005 | $905 to $1,106 | $40,200 | $19.33/hr | -4.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,205 | $1,085 to $1,326 | $48,200 | $23.17/hr | -5.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,510 | $1,359 to $1,661 | $60,400 | $29.04/hr | -4.7% |
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 | $1,737 | $1,563 to $1,911 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,963 | $1,767 to $2,159 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,190 | $1,971 to $2,409 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,416 | $2,174 to $2,658 |
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 Avery, that runs from $761 for a studio up to $1,510 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Avery 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, Banner Elk included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Avery ranks 57th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% below the state median of $1,086 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 17,679 people live here, 85th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $950 in 28616 (Crossnore) and $1,150 in 28604 (Banner Elk), with the 9 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 Avery somewhere between $905 and $1,106. 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.
$1,005 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,200 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% ($905) | HAP at 100% ($1,005) | HAP at 110% ($1,106) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $155 | $255 | $356 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2025 ($1,054) to FY 2026 ($1,005). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $562 | $566 | $741 | $945 | $1,179 | — |
| FY 2021 | $595 | $599 | $789 | $1,000 | $1,265 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $645 | $649 | $854 | $1,056 | $1,158 | +8.2% |
| FY 2023 | $706 | $711 | $936 | $1,139 | $1,257 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $776 | $781 | $1,026 | $1,241 | $1,366 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $798 | $803 | $1,054 | $1,270 | $1,584 | +2.7% |
| FY 2026 | $761 | $766 | $1,005 | $1,205 | $1,510 | -4.6% |
| FY 2027 | $769 | $774 | $1,012 | $1,346 | $1,531 | +0.7% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,005 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $761 for a studio, $766 for one bedroom, $1,205 for three and $1,510 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 Avery actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Avery for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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