HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Gaston County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Gaston County is $1,785 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,785
+5.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,607–$1,964
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$71,400
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
5th 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 | $1,574 | $1,417–$1,731 | $62,960 | $30.27/hr | +7.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,640 | $1,476–$1,804 | $65,600 | $31.54/hr | +6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,785 | $1,607–$1,964 | $71,400 | $34.33/hr | +5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,179 | $1,961–$2,397 | $87,160 | $41.90/hr | +5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,773 | $2,496–$3,050 | $110,920 | $53.33/hr | +5.2% |
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 | $3,189 | $2,870–$3,508 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,605 | $3,245–$3,966 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,021 | $3,619–$4,423 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,437 | $3,993–$4,881 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Gaston actually rent for?
Search any address in Gaston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Gaston somewhere between $1,607 and $1,964. 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.
$1,785 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $71,400 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%$1,607 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,785 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,964 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $857 | $1,035 | $1,214 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $407 | $585 | $764 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($1,686) to FY 2027 ($1,785). Since FY 2020 it's up 68% in total, about 7.7% 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 | $907 | $934 | $1,063 | $1,423 | $1,828 | — |
| FY 2021 | $987 | $1,010 | $1,151 | $1,518 | $1,956 | +8.3% |
| FY 2022 | $996 | $1,014 | $1,155 | $1,497 | $1,942 | +0.3% |
| FY 2023 | $1,154 | $1,180 | $1,333 | $1,691 | $2,183 | +15.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,347 | $1,384 | $1,554 | $1,936 | $2,481 | +16.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,586 | $1,647 | $1,824 | $2,250 | $2,852 | +17.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 | -7.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,574 | $1,640 | $1,785 | $2,179 | $2,773 | +5.9% |
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 Gaston, that runs from $1,574 for a studio up to $2,773 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 Gaston in with 4 other counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, Mecklenburg County, York County, Union County among them, and every one of them gets $1,785 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, Gaston ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 56% above the state median of $1,145 and about 68% above the national median county at $1,063. About 234,881 people live here, 11th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 28016 (Bessemer City) and $1,890 in 28035 (Davidson), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28006 | Alexis | $1,310 | -26.6% |
| 28012 | Belmont | $1,600 | -10.4% |
| 28016 | Bessemer City | $1,070 | -40.1% |
| 28021 | Cherryville | $1,120 | -37.3% |
| 28032 | Cramerton | $1,290 | -27.7% |
| 28034 | Dallas | $1,070 | -40.1% |
| 28035 | Davidson | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28052 | Gastonia | $1,300 | -27.2% |
| 28053 | Gastonia | $1,350 | -24.4% |
| 28054 | Gastonia | $1,520 | -14.8% |
| 28055 | Gastonia | $1,350 | -24.4% |
| 28056 | Gastonia | $1,390 | -22.1% |
| 28077 | High Shoals | $1,080 | -39.5% |
| 28098 | Lowell | $1,610 | -9.8% |
| 28101 | Mc Adenville | $1,490 | -16.5% |
| 28120 | Mount Holly | $1,460 | -18.2% |
| 28164 | Stanley | $1,350 | -24.4% |
Counties sharing the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,785 two-bedroom figure as Gaston.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Gaston.
Lincoln County
12 mi · 92,716 people
$1,138
-36%
Mecklenburg County
18 mi · 1,154,681 people
$1,785
same rate
Cleveland County
24 mi · 100,991 people
$1,014
-43%
Catawba County
25 mi · 163,573 people
$1,147
-36%
Cabarrus County
32 mi · 236,133 people
$1,785
same rate
Iredell County
36 mi · 196,544 people
$1,429
-20%
Union County
39 mi · 250,958 people
$1,785
same rate
Alexander County
41 mi · 36,412 people
$1,147
-36%
Questions people ask
$1,785 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,574 for a studio, $1,640 for one bedroom, $2,179 for three and $2,773 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 Gaston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Gaston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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