HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clay County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$1,039 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clay County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Clay is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,039
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$935 to $1,143
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
55th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clay moves to $1,087. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clay actually rent for?
Search any address in Clay 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 | $878 | $790 to $966 | $35,120 | $16.88/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $948 | $853 to $1,043 | $37,920 | $18.23/hr | +2.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,039 | $935 to $1,143 | $41,560 | $19.98/hr | +1.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,429 | $1,286 to $1,572 | $57,160 | $27.48/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,561 | $1,405 to $1,717 | $62,440 | $30.02/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 | $1,795 | $1,616 to $1,975 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,029 | $1,826 to $2,232 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,263 | $2,037 to $2,489 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,498 | $2,248 to $2,748 |
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 Clay, that runs from $878 for a studio up to $1,561 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Clay 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, Brasstown included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Clay ranks 55th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,086 and about 2% above the national median county at $1,018. About 11,186 people live here, 92nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 28902 (Brasstown) and $1,030 in 28904 (Hayesville), with the 3 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 Clay somewhere between $935 and $1,143. 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.
$1,039 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,560 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($935) | HAP at 100% ($1,039) | HAP at 110% ($1,143) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $185 | $289 | $393 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,020) to FY 2026 ($1,039). 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 | $614 | $618 | $754 | $940 | $1,199 | — |
| FY 2021 | $661 | $665 | $788 | $980 | $1,264 | +4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $668 | $721 | $821 | $1,015 | $1,296 | +4.2% |
| FY 2023 | $695 | $747 | $844 | $1,027 | $1,323 | +2.8% |
| FY 2024 | $775 | $828 | $930 | $1,193 | $1,417 | +10.2% |
| FY 2025 | $856 | $921 | $1,020 | $1,357 | $1,533 | +9.7% |
| FY 2026 | $878 | $948 | $1,039 | $1,429 | $1,561 | +1.9% |
| FY 2027 | $928 | $999 | $1,087 | $1,505 | $1,644 | +4.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,039 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $878 for a studio, $948 for one bedroom, $1,429 for three and $1,561 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 Clay actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.