HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Buncombe County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Buncombe County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,866 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Buncombe keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,866
+19.1% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,679–$2,053
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$74,640
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
1st of 100
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,482 | $1,334–$1,630 | $59,280 | $28.50/hr | +20.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,714 | $1,543–$1,885 | $68,560 | $32.96/hr | +19.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,866 | $1,679–$2,053 | $74,640 | $35.88/hr | +19.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,223 | $2,001–$2,445 | $88,920 | $42.75/hr | +16.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,109 | $2,798–$3,420 | $124,360 | $59.79/hr | +18.3% |
Five to eight 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 | $3,575 | $3,218–$3,933 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,042 | $3,638–$4,446 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,508 | $4,057–$4,959 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,974 | $4,477–$5,471 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Buncombe actually rent for?
Search any address in Buncombe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Buncombe somewhere between $1,679 and $2,053. 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.
$1,866 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $74,640 a year. Put another way, $36 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,679 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,866 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,053 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $929 | $1,116 | $1,303 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $479 | $666 | $853 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 19% from FY 2026 ($1,567) to FY 2027 ($1,866). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 5.8% a year. The North Carolina median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,039 | $1,045 | $1,255 | $1,717 | $2,203 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,096 | $1,099 | $1,279 | $1,751 | $2,213 | +1.9% |
| FY 2022 | $1,188 | $1,209 | $1,378 | $1,879 | $2,359 | +7.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,270 | $1,298 | $1,466 | $1,949 | $2,497 | +6.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,428 | $1,496 | $1,680 | $2,160 | $2,851 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,286 | $1,347 | $1,512 | $1,944 | $2,566 | -10.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,227 | $1,429 | $1,567 | $1,905 | $2,629 | +3.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,482 | $1,714 | $1,866 | $2,223 | $3,109 | +19.1% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Buncombe, that runs from $1,482 for a studio up to $3,109 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Buncombe in with 2 other counties in the Asheville metro, Henderson County, Madison County among them, and every one of them gets $1,866 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Buncombe ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 63% above the state median of $1,145 and about 76% above the national median county at $1,063. About 274,360 people live here, 7th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,660 in 28701 (Alexander) and $2,270 in 28759 (Mills River), with the 24 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28701 | Alexander | $1,660 | -11.0% |
| 28704 | Arden | $2,070 | +10.9% |
| 28709 | Barnardsville | $2,170 | +16.3% |
| 28711 | Black Mountain | $1,810 | -3.0% |
| 28715 | Candler | $1,820 | -2.5% |
| 28728 | Enka | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28730 | Fairview | $1,700 | -8.9% |
| 28748 | Leicester | $1,670 | -10.5% |
| 28757 | Montreat | $1,660 | -11.0% |
| 28759 | Mills River | $2,270 | +21.7% |
| 28770 | Ridgecrest | $1,770 | -5.1% |
| 28776 | Skyland | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28778 | Swannanoa | $1,660 | -11.0% |
| 28787 | Weaverville | $1,820 | -2.5% |
| 28801 | Asheville | $1,960 | +5.0% |
| 28802 | Asheville | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28803 | Asheville | $2,190 | +17.4% |
| 28804 | Asheville | $2,140 | +14.7% |
| 28805 | Asheville | $1,890 | +1.3% |
| 28806 | Asheville | $1,850 | -0.9% |
| 28810 | Asheville | $1,866County rate | — |
| 28813 | Asheville | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28814 | Asheville | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28815 | Asheville | $1,950 | +4.5% |
| 28816 | Asheville | $1,950 | +4.5% |
Counties sharing the Asheville metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,866 two-bedroom figure as Buncombe.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Buncombe.
Henderson County
18 mi · 118,484 people
$1,866
same rate
Madison County
20 mi · 21,867 people
$1,866
same rate
Haywood County
26 mi · 62,662 people
$1,250
-33%
McDowell County
28 mi · 44,817 people
$1,012
-46%
Polk County
28 mi · 19,891 people
$1,012
-46%
Yancey County
28 mi · 18,797 people
$1,050
-44%
Transylvania County
32 mi · 33,691 people
$1,386
-26%
Mitchell County
34 mi · 14,992 people
$1,012
-46%
Questions people ask
$1,866 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,482 for a studio, $1,714 for one bedroom, $2,223 for three and $3,109 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Buncombe actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buncombe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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