HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Durham County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Durham County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,745 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Durham keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,745
+2.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,571–$1,920
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$69,800
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
9th of 100
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,498 | $1,348–$1,648 | $59,920 | $28.81/hr | +5.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,554 | $1,399–$1,709 | $62,160 | $29.88/hr | +3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,745 | $1,571–$1,920 | $69,800 | $33.56/hr | +2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,161 | $1,945–$2,377 | $86,440 | $41.56/hr | +2.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,486 | $2,237–$2,735 | $99,440 | $47.81/hr | -1.6% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,859 | $2,573–$3,145 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,232 | $2,909–$3,555 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,605 | $3,245–$3,966 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,978 | $3,580–$4,376 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Durham are asking $1,796. HUD says $1,745.
That's 3% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 7 Durham ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Durham somewhere between $1,571 and $1,920. 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.
$1,745 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $69,800 a year. Put another way, $34 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,571 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,745 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,920 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $821 | $995 | $1,170 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $371 | $545 | $720 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2026 ($1,711) to FY 2027 ($1,745). Since FY 2020 it's up 60% in total, about 7.0% a year. The North Carolina median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $919 | $934 | $1,088 | $1,461 | $1,645 | — |
| FY 2021 | $972 | $974 | $1,134 | $1,493 | $1,715 | +4.2% |
| FY 2022 | $1,024 | $1,030 | $1,199 | $1,546 | $1,812 | +5.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,128 | $1,134 | $1,315 | $1,669 | $2,031 | +9.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,385 | $1,418 | $1,631 | $2,051 | $2,510 | +24.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,548 | $1,637 | $1,872 | $2,334 | $2,807 | +14.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,417 | $1,507 | $1,711 | $2,117 | $2,527 | -8.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,498 | $1,554 | $1,745 | $2,161 | $2,486 | +2.0% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Durham, that runs from $1,498 for a studio up to $2,486 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Durham in with 2 other counties in the Durham-Chapel Hill metro, Orange County, Chatham County among them, and every one of them gets $1,745 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Durham ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 52% above the state median of $1,145 and about 64% above the national median county at $1,063. About 332,353 people live here, 6th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,540 in 27503 (Bahama) and $2,010 in 27712 (Durham), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27503 | Bahama | $1,540 | -11.7% |
| 27572 | Rougemont | $1,540 | -11.7% |
| 27701 | Durham | $1,590 | -8.9% |
| 27702 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27703 | Durham | $1,830 | +4.9% |
| 27704 | Durham | $1,660 | -4.9% |
| 27705 | Durham | $1,750 | +0.3% |
| 27706 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27707 | Durham | $1,740 | -0.3% |
| 27708 | Durham | $1,750 | +0.3% |
| 27709 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27710 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27711 | Durham | $1,745County rate | — |
| 27712 | Durham | $2,010 | +15.2% |
| 27713 | Durham | $1,920 | +10.0% |
| 27715 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27717 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
| 27722 | Durham | $1,770 | +1.4% |
Counties sharing the Durham-Chapel Hill metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,745 two-bedroom figure as Durham.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Durham.
Orange County
12 mi · 149,678 people
$1,745
same rate
Granville County
16 mi · 60,877 people
$1,213
-30%
Wake County
22 mi · 1,178,653 people
$1,689
-3%
Person County
24 mi · 39,542 people
$1,012
-42%
Alamance County
29 mi · 176,893 people
$1,348
-23%
Franklin County
30 mi · 74,386 people
$1,689
-3%
Chatham County
35 mi · 80,151 people
$1,745
same rate
Caswell County
36 mi · 22,404 people
$1,012
-42%
Questions people ask
$1,745 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,498 for a studio, $1,554 for one bedroom, $2,161 for three and $2,486 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Durham actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Durham for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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