HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Davidson County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Davidson County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $960 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Davidson keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$960
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$864 to $1,056
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
68th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Davidson moves to $1,087. That's up 13%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Davidson actually rent for?
Search any address in Davidson 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 | $816 | $734 to $898 | $32,640 | $15.69/hr | +3.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $876 | $788 to $964 | $35,040 | $16.85/hr | +7.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $960 | $864 to $1,056 | $38,400 | $18.46/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,316 | $1,184 to $1,448 | $52,640 | $25.31/hr | +5.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,591 | $1,432 to $1,750 | $63,640 | $30.60/hr | +3.6% |
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 | $1,830 | $1,647 to $2,013 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,068 | $1,861 to $2,275 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,307 | $2,076 to $2,538 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,546 | $2,291 to $2,801 |
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 Davidson, that runs from $816 for a studio up to $1,591 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Davidson is its own HUD metro area (Davidson County, NC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Davidson ranks 68th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% below the state median of $1,086 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 169,498 people live here, 17th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 27295 (Lexington) and $1,080 in 27299 (Linwood), with the 10 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 Davidson somewhere between $864 and $1,056. 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.
$960 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,400 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% ($864) | HAP at 100% ($960) | HAP at 110% ($1,056) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $114 | $210 | $306 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($960). 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 | $572 | $576 | $695 | $966 | $1,192 | — |
| FY 2021 | $558 | $562 | $705 | $958 | $1,221 | +1.4% |
| FY 2022 | $553 | $556 | $724 | $973 | $1,239 | +2.7% |
| FY 2023 | $656 | $660 | $837 | $1,114 | $1,421 | +15.6% |
| FY 2024 | $768 | $773 | $954 | $1,264 | $1,557 | +14.0% |
| FY 2025 | $790 | $812 | $933 | $1,244 | $1,536 | -2.2% |
| FY 2026 | $816 | $876 | $960 | $1,316 | $1,591 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $959 | $999 | $1,087 | $1,505 | $1,817 | +13.2% |
Nearby counties
Davie County
$1,23216 mi · pop 43,030
Forsyth County
$1,23219 mi · pop 383,739
Rowan County
$1,19620 mi · pop 147,067
Randolph County
$1,33027 mi · pop 144,403
Guilford County
$1,33029 mi · pop 539,557
Stanly County
$92533 mi · pop 62,723
Iredell County
$1,34035 mi · pop 187,839
Yadkin County
$1,23235 mi · pop 37,280
Questions people ask
$960 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $816 for a studio, $876 for one bedroom, $1,316 for three and $1,591 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 Davidson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Davidson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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