HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Burke County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Burke County is $1,147 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,147
+4.7% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,032–$1,262
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$45,880
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
48th 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 | $961 | $865–$1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +12.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $965 | $869–$1,062 | $38,600 | $18.56/hr | +6.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,147 | $1,032–$1,262 | $45,880 | $22.06/hr | +4.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,399 | $1,259–$1,539 | $55,960 | $26.90/hr | +2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,707 | $1,536–$1,878 | $68,280 | $32.83/hr | +2.8% |
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 | $1,963 | $1,767–$2,159 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,219 | $1,997–$2,441 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,475 | $2,228–$2,723 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,731 | $2,458–$3,004 |
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 Burke actually rent for?
Search any address in Burke 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 Burke somewhere between $1,032 and $1,262. 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.
$1,147 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,880 a year. Put another way, $22 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%$1,032 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,147 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,262 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $282 | $397 | $512 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $62 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2026 ($1,095) to FY 2027 ($1,147). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 7.0% 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 | $569 | $573 | $712 | $918 | $1,035 | — |
| FY 2021 | $557 | $560 | $693 | $899 | $1,029 | -2.7% |
| FY 2022 | $589 | $592 | $724 | $943 | $1,085 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $646 | $650 | $791 | $1,033 | $1,179 | +9.3% |
| FY 2024 | $806 | $834 | $1,014 | $1,314 | $1,506 | +28.2% |
| FY 2025 | $818 | $851 | $1,046 | $1,334 | $1,567 | +3.2% |
| FY 2026 | $858 | $908 | $1,095 | $1,372 | $1,660 | +4.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $961 | $965 | $1,147 | $1,399 | $1,707 | +4.7% |
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 Burke, that runs from $961 for a studio up to $1,707 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 Burke in with 3 other counties in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro, Catawba County, Caldwell County, Alexander County among them, and every one of them gets $1,147 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, Burke ranks 48th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,145 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,063. About 87,795 people live here, 33rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 28619 (Drexel) and $1,660 in 28655 (Morganton), with the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28612 | Connelly Springs | $1,130 | -1.5% |
| 28619 | Drexel | $1,010 | -11.9% |
| 28628 | Glen Alpine | $1,140 | -0.6% |
| 28637 | Hildebran | $1,010 | -11.9% |
| 28641 | Jonas Ridge | $1,010 | -11.9% |
| 28647 | Linville Falls | $1,150 | +0.3% |
| 28655 | Morganton | $1,660 | +44.7% |
| 28666 | Icard | $1,160 | +1.1% |
| 28671 | Rutherford College | $1,140 | -0.6% |
| 28680 | Morganton | $1,150 | +0.3% |
| 28690 | Valdese | $1,200 | +4.6% |
Counties sharing the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,147 two-bedroom figure as Burke.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Burke.
Caldwell County
10 mi · 80,536 people
$1,147
same rate
McDowell County
23 mi · 44,817 people
$1,012
-12%
Avery County
26 mi · 17,680 people
$1,012
-12%
Catawba County
27 mi · 163,573 people
$1,147
same rate
Mitchell County
29 mi · 14,992 people
$1,012
-12%
Alexander County
31 mi · 36,412 people
$1,147
same rate
Watauga County
31 mi · 55,123 people
$1,311
+14%
Cleveland County
32 mi · 100,991 people
$1,014
-12%
Questions people ask
$1,147 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $961 for a studio, $965 for one bedroom, $1,399 for three and $1,707 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 Burke actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Burke for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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