HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Harnett County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$980 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Harnett County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Harnett is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$980
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$882 to $1,078
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
63rd of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Harnett moves to $1,051. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Harnett actually rent for?
Search any address in Harnett 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 | $805 | $725 to $886 | $32,200 | $15.48/hr | +1.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $810 | $729 to $891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | +1.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $980 | $882 to $1,078 | $39,200 | $18.85/hr | -6.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,363 | $1,227 to $1,499 | $54,520 | $26.21/hr | -6.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,644 | $1,480 to $1,808 | $65,760 | $31.62/hr | -6.2% |
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 | $1,891 | $1,702 to $2,080 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,137 | $1,923 to $2,351 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,384 | $2,146 to $2,622 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,630 | $2,367 to $2,893 |
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 Harnett, that runs from $805 for a studio up to $1,644 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Harnett 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, Dunn included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Harnett ranks 63rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,086 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 134,718 people live here, 23rd 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 27506 (Buies Creek) and $1,350 in 27501 (Angier), with the 8 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 Harnett somewhere between $882 and $1,078. 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.
$980 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,200 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($882) | HAP at 100% ($980) | HAP at 110% ($1,078) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $132 | $230 | $328 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($1,044) to FY 2026 ($980). Since FY 2020 it's up 25% in total, about 3.8% 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 | $592 | $596 | $785 | $1,092 | $1,378 | — |
| FY 2021 | $595 | $599 | $790 | $1,125 | $1,368 | +0.6% |
| FY 2022 | $646 | $651 | $856 | $1,216 | $1,465 | +8.4% |
| FY 2023 | $712 | $716 | $943 | $1,340 | $1,606 | +10.2% |
| FY 2024 | $851 | $857 | $1,126 | $1,587 | $1,911 | +19.4% |
| FY 2025 | $791 | $796 | $1,044 | $1,463 | $1,753 | -7.3% |
| FY 2026 | $805 | $810 | $980 | $1,363 | $1,644 | -6.1% |
| FY 2027 | $891 | $896 | $1,051 | $1,455 | $1,757 | +7.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$980 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $805 for a studio, $810 for one bedroom, $1,363 for three and $1,644 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 Harnett actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Harnett for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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