HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Buncombe County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Buncombe County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,567 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Buncombe keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,567
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,410 to $1,724
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$62,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
14th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Buncombe moves to $1,866. That's up 19%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,227 | $1,104 to $1,350 | $49,080 | $23.60/hr | -4.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,429 | $1,286 to $1,572 | $57,160 | $27.48/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,567 | $1,410 to $1,724 | $62,680 | $30.13/hr | +3.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,905 | $1,715 to $2,096 | $76,200 | $36.63/hr | -2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,629 | $2,366 to $2,892 | $105,160 | $50.56/hr | +2.5% |
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 | $3,023 | $2,721 to $3,325 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,418 | $3,076 to $3,760 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,812 | $3,431 to $4,193 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,206 | $3,785 to $4,627 |
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 Buncombe, that runs from $1,227 for a studio up to $2,629 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 $1,567 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 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 44% above the state median of $1,086 and about 54% above the national median county at $1,018. About 269,449 people live here, 7th in the state.
Counties sharing the Asheville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,370 in 28748 (Leicester) and $2,070 in 28803 (Asheville), 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 | $1,530 | -2.4% |
| 28704 | Arden | $1,750 | +11.7% |
| 28709 | Barnardsville | $1,840 | +17.4% |
| 28711 | Black Mountain | $1,480 | -5.6% |
| 28715 | Candler | $1,550 | -1.1% |
| 28728 | Enka | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28730 | Fairview | $1,390 | -11.3% |
| 28748 | Leicester | $1,370 | -12.6% |
| 28757 | Montreat | $1,370 | -12.6% |
| 28759 | Mills River | $1,810 | +15.5% |
| 28770 | Ridgecrest | $1,450 | -7.5% |
| 28776 | Skyland | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28778 | Swannanoa | $1,370 | -12.6% |
| 28787 | Weaverville | $1,530 | -2.4% |
| 28801 | Asheville | $1,690 | +7.8% |
| 28802 | Asheville | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28803 | Asheville | $2,070 | +32.1% |
| 28804 | Asheville | $1,830 | +16.8% |
| 28805 | Asheville | $1,580 | +0.8% |
| 28806 | Asheville | $1,600 | +2.1% |
| 28810 | Asheville | $1,567County rate | — |
| 28813 | Asheville | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28814 | Asheville | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28815 | Asheville | $1,640 | +4.7% |
| 28816 | Asheville | $1,640 | +4.7% |
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 $1,410 and $1,724. 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.
$1,567 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $62,680 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,410) | HAP at 100% ($1,567) | HAP at 110% ($1,724) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $660 | $817 | $974 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $210 | $367 | $524 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,512) to FY 2026 ($1,567). Since FY 2020 it's up 25% in total, about 3.8% 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 | $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 2027 | $1,482 | $1,714 | $1,866 | $2,223 | $3,109 | +19.1% |
Nearby counties
Henderson County
$1,56718 mi · pop 116,469
Madison County
$1,56720 mi · pop 21,414
Haywood County
$1,23026 mi · pop 62,152
McDowell County
$92528 mi · pop 44,629
Polk County
$98328 mi · pop 19,538
Yancey County
$93528 mi · pop 18,538
Transylvania County
$1,16432 mi · pop 33,131
Mitchell County
$92534 mi · pop 14,989
Questions people ask
$1,567 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,227 for a studio, $1,429 for one bedroom, $1,905 for three and $2,629 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 Buncombe actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buncombe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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