HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cherokee County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Cherokee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $935 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Cherokee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$935
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$842 to $1,029
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
71st of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cherokee moves to $1,012. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cherokee actually rent for?
Search any address in Cherokee 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 | $645 | $581 to $710 | $25,800 | $12.40/hr | -9.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $713 | $642 to $784 | $28,520 | $13.71/hr | -0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $935 | $842 to $1,029 | $37,400 | $17.98/hr | -0.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,290 | $1,161 to $1,419 | $51,600 | $24.81/hr | -2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,497 | $1,347 to $1,647 | $59,880 | $28.79/hr | +1.0% |
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 | $1,722 | $1,550 to $1,894 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,946 | $1,751 to $2,141 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,171 | $1,954 to $2,388 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,395 | $2,156 to $2,635 |
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 Cherokee, that runs from $645 for a studio up to $1,497 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cherokee 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, Topton included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Cherokee ranks 71st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% below the state median of $1,086 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 28,868 people live here, 71st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 28901 (Andrews) and $1,050 in 28905 (Marble), with the 5 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.
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 Cherokee somewhere between $842 and $1,029. 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.
$935 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,400 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($842) | HAP at 100% ($935) | HAP at 110% ($1,029) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $92 | $185 | $279 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($943) to FY 2026 ($935). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $513 | $516 | $680 | $912 | $1,082 | — |
| FY 2021 | $545 | $548 | $715 | $946 | $1,147 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $579 | $583 | $767 | $1,000 | $1,151 | +7.3% |
| FY 2023 | $613 | $617 | $812 | $1,093 | $1,229 | +5.9% |
| FY 2024 | $659 | $664 | $872 | $1,214 | $1,382 | +7.4% |
| FY 2025 | $714 | $719 | $943 | $1,316 | $1,482 | +8.1% |
| FY 2026 | $645 | $713 | $935 | $1,290 | $1,497 | -0.8% |
| FY 2027 | $705 | $817 | $1,012 | $1,343 | $1,585 | +8.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$935 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $645 for a studio, $713 for one bedroom, $1,290 for three and $1,497 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 Cherokee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cherokee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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