HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Carteret County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
$1,277 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Carteret County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Carteret is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,277
+6.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,149–$1,405
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$51,080
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
31st 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 | $970 | $873–$1,067 | $38,800 | $18.65/hr | +6.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $976 | $878–$1,074 | $39,040 | $18.77/hr | +6.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,277 | $1,149–$1,405 | $51,080 | $24.56/hr | +6.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,607 | $1,446–$1,768 | $64,280 | $30.90/hr | +4.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,132 | $1,919–$2,345 | $85,280 | $41.00/hr | +8.4% |
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 | $2,452 | $2,207–$2,697 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,772 | $2,495–$3,049 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,091 | $2,782–$3,400 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,411 | $3,070–$3,752 |
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 Carteret actually rent for?
Search any address in Carteret for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
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 Carteret somewhere between $1,149 and $1,405. 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.
$1,277 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,080 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,149 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,277 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,405 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $399 | $527 | $655 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $77 | $205 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2026 ($1,198) to FY 2027 ($1,277). Since FY 2020 it's up 54% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $624 | $628 | $827 | $1,101 | $1,452 | — |
| FY 2021 | $638 | $642 | $846 | $1,153 | $1,465 | +2.3% |
| FY 2022 | $692 | $696 | $916 | $1,264 | $1,568 | +8.3% |
| FY 2023 | $757 | $762 | $1,003 | $1,365 | $1,708 | +9.5% |
| FY 2024 | $820 | $826 | $1,085 | $1,454 | $1,812 | +8.2% |
| FY 2025 | $923 | $929 | $1,219 | $1,584 | $2,002 | +12.4% |
| FY 2026 | $907 | $913 | $1,198 | $1,541 | $1,966 | -1.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $970 | $976 | $1,277 | $1,607 | $2,132 | +6.6% |
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 Carteret, that runs from $970 for a studio up to $2,132 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Carteret 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, Atlantic included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Carteret ranks 31st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% above the state median of $1,145 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,063. About 69,148 people live here, 39th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,090 in 28516 (Beaufort) and $1,860 in 28594 (Emerald Isle), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28511 | Atlantic | $1,240 | -2.9% |
| 28512 | Atlantic Beach | $1,250 | -2.1% |
| 28516 | Beaufort | $1,090 | -14.6% |
| 28520 | Cedar Island | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28524 | Davis | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28528 | Gloucester | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28531 | Harkers Island | $1,220 | -4.5% |
| 28553 | Marshallberg | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28557 | Morehead City | $1,350 | +5.7% |
| 28570 | Newport | $1,170 | -8.4% |
| 28575 | Salter Path | $1,250 | -2.1% |
| 28577 | Sealevel | $1,240 | -2.9% |
| 28579 | Smyrna | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28581 | Stacy | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28582 | Stella | $1,220 | -4.5% |
| 28589 | Williston | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 28594 | Emerald Isle | $1,860 | +45.7% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Carteret.
Pamlico County
26 mi · 12,390 people
$1,088
-15%
Craven County
35 mi · 102,612 people
$1,246
-2%
Jones County
44 mi · 9,302 people
$1,012
-21%
Onslow County
44 mi · 207,906 people
$1,319
+3%
Beaufort County
49 mi · 44,499 people
$1,012
-21%
Hyde County
51 mi · 4,592 people
$1,012
-21%
Lenoir County
66 mi · 54,919 people
$1,012
-21%
Pitt County
72 mi · 177,193 people
$1,167
-9%
Questions people ask
$1,277 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $970 for a studio, $976 for one bedroom, $1,607 for three and $2,132 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 Carteret actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Carteret for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.