HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Dare County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$1,430 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Dare County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Dare is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,430
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,287 to $1,573
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$57,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
17th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Dare moves to $1,510. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Dare actually rent for?
Search any address in Dare 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 | $1,120 | $1,008 to $1,232 | $44,800 | $21.54/hr | +2.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,305 | $1,175 to $1,436 | $52,200 | $25.10/hr | +2.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,430 | $1,287 to $1,573 | $57,200 | $27.50/hr | +1.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,821 | $1,639 to $2,003 | $72,840 | $35.02/hr | -2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,893 | $1,704 to $2,082 | $75,720 | $36.40/hr | -1.5% |
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 | $2,177 | $1,959 to $2,395 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,461 | $2,215 to $2,707 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,745 | $2,471 to $3,020 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,029 | $2,726 to $3,332 |
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 Dare, that runs from $1,120 for a studio up to $1,893 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Dare 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, Avon included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Dare ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 32% above the state median of $1,086 and about 40% above the national median county at $1,018. About 37,160 people live here, 65th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,270 in 27959 (Nags Head) and $1,840 in 27936 (Frisco), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27915 | Avon | $1,430 | 0.0% |
| 27920 | Buxton | $1,430 | 0.0% |
| 27936 | Frisco | $1,840 | +28.7% |
| 27943 | Hatteras | $1,840 | +28.7% |
| 27948 | Kill Devil Hills | $1,590 | +11.2% |
| 27949 | Kitty Hawk | $1,610 | +12.6% |
| 27953 | Manns Harbor | $1,320 | -7.7% |
| 27954 | Manteo | $1,420 | -0.7% |
| 27959 | Nags Head | $1,270 | -11.2% |
| 27968 | Rodanthe | $1,430 | 0.0% |
| 27972 | Salvo | $1,430 | 0.0% |
| 27978 | Stumpy Point | $1,320 | -7.7% |
| 27981 | Wanchese | $1,420 | -0.7% |
| 27982 | Waves | $1,430 | 0.0% |
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 Dare somewhere between $1,287 and $1,573. 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.
$1,430 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $57,200 a year. Put another way, $28 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% ($1,287) | HAP at 100% ($1,430) | HAP at 110% ($1,573) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $537 | $680 | $823 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $87 | $230 | $373 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,411) to FY 2026 ($1,430). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.3% 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 | $785 | $790 | $937 | $1,333 | $1,555 | — |
| FY 2021 | $837 | $852 | $976 | $1,347 | $1,594 | +4.2% |
| FY 2022 | $866 | $895 | $1,054 | $1,415 | $1,658 | +8.0% |
| FY 2023 | $915 | $982 | $1,151 | $1,571 | $1,726 | +9.2% |
| FY 2024 | $1,000 | $1,137 | $1,280 | $1,736 | $1,800 | +11.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,090 | $1,269 | $1,411 | $1,874 | $1,922 | +10.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,120 | $1,305 | $1,430 | $1,821 | $1,893 | +1.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,194 | $1,387 | $1,510 | $1,918 | $2,001 | +5.6% |
Nearby counties
Hyde County
$94035 mi · pop 4,636
Tyrrell County
$92539 mi · pop 3,389
Currituck County
$1,71349 mi · pop 28,616
Pasquotank County
$1,21656 mi · pop 40,454
Washington County
$92556 mi · pop 11,051
Camden County
$1,28757 mi · pop 10,547
Perquimans County
$99962 mi · pop 13,053
Chowan County
$1,22067 mi · pop 13,835
Questions people ask
$1,430 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,120 for a studio, $1,305 for one bedroom, $1,821 for three and $1,893 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 Dare actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dare for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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