HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Carteret County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$1,198 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Carteret County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Carteret is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,198
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,078 to $1,318
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
35th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Carteret moves to $1,277. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $907 | $816 to $998 | $36,280 | $17.44/hr | -1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $913 | $822 to $1,004 | $36,520 | $17.56/hr | -1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,198 | $1,078 to $1,318 | $47,920 | $23.04/hr | -1.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,541 | $1,387 to $1,695 | $61,640 | $29.63/hr | -2.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,966 | $1,769 to $2,163 | $78,640 | $37.81/hr | -1.8% |
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 | $2,261 | $2,035 to $2,487 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,556 | $2,300 to $2,812 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,851 | $2,566 to $3,136 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,146 | $2,831 to $3,461 |
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 Carteret, that runs from $907 for a studio up to $1,966 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 35th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $1,086 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,018. About 68,353 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 $1,100 in 28516 (Beaufort) and $1,690 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 | $1,200 | +0.2% |
| 28512 | Atlantic Beach | $1,170 | -2.3% |
| 28516 | Beaufort | $1,100 | -8.2% |
| 28520 | Cedar Island | $1,130 | -5.7% |
| 28524 | Davis | $1,200 | +0.2% |
| 28528 | Gloucester | $1,100 | -8.2% |
| 28531 | Harkers Island | $1,190 | -0.7% |
| 28553 | Marshallberg | $1,200 | +0.2% |
| 28557 | Morehead City | $1,270 | +6.0% |
| 28570 | Newport | $1,130 | -5.7% |
| 28575 | Salter Path | $1,170 | -2.3% |
| 28577 | Sealevel | $1,200 | +0.2% |
| 28579 | Smyrna | $1,100 | -8.2% |
| 28581 | Stacy | $1,180 | -1.5% |
| 28582 | Stella | $1,320 | +10.2% |
| 28589 | Williston | $1,100 | -8.2% |
| 28594 | Emerald Isle | $1,690 | +41.1% |
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 $1,078 and $1,318. 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.
$1,198 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,920 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,078) | HAP at 100% ($1,198) | HAP at 110% ($1,318) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $328 | $448 | $568 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $118 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,219) to FY 2026 ($1,198). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $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 2027 | $970 | $976 | $1,277 | $1,607 | $2,132 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,198 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $907 for a studio, $913 for one bedroom, $1,541 for three and $1,966 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 Carteret actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Carteret for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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