HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hertford County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$925 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hertford County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hertford is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$925
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$833 to $1,018
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
82nd of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hertford moves to $1,012. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hertford actually rent for?
Search any address in Hertford 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 | $638 | $574 to $702 | $25,520 | $12.27/hr | -6.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $705 | $635 to $776 | $28,200 | $13.56/hr | -7.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | -7.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,210 | $1,089 to $1,331 | $48,400 | $23.27/hr | -1.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,225 | $1,103 to $1,348 | $49,000 | $23.56/hr | -7.1% |
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 | $1,409 | $1,268 to $1,550 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,593 | $1,434 to $1,752 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,776 | $1,598 to $1,954 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,960 | $1,764 to $2,156 |
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 Hertford, that runs from $638 for a studio up to $1,225 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Hertford 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, Como included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Hertford ranks 82nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% below the state median of $1,086 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 21,633 people live here, 78th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 27818 (Como) and $1,110 in 27942 (Harrellsville), with the 6 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 Hertford somewhere between $833 and $1,018. 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.
$925 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,000 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% ($833) | HAP at 100% ($925) | HAP at 110% ($1,018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $83 | $175 | $268 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 7% from FY 2025 ($995) to FY 2026 ($925). Since FY 2020 it's up 24% in total, about 3.7% 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 | $562 | $566 | $745 | $960 | $1,038 | — |
| FY 2021 | $579 | $583 | $768 | $955 | $1,132 | +3.1% |
| FY 2022 | $619 | $623 | $820 | $1,014 | $1,191 | +6.8% |
| FY 2023 | $640 | $667 | $878 | $1,069 | $1,261 | +7.1% |
| FY 2024 | $661 | $719 | $945 | $1,143 | $1,277 | +7.6% |
| FY 2025 | $682 | $758 | $995 | $1,233 | $1,319 | +5.3% |
| FY 2026 | $638 | $705 | $925 | $1,210 | $1,225 | -7.0% |
| FY 2027 | $705 | $774 | $1,012 | $1,401 | $1,402 | +9.4% |
Nearby counties
Gates County
$1,70914 mi · pop 10,509
Bertie County
$1,04416 mi · pop 17,818
Chowan County
$1,22022 mi · pop 13,835
Northampton County
$97225 mi · pop 17,528
Perquimans County
$99929 mi · pop 13,053
Halifax County
$92538 mi · pop 48,772
Martin County
$92538 mi · pop 21,992
Pasquotank County
$1,21640 mi · pop 40,454
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $638 for a studio, $705 for one bedroom, $1,210 for three and $1,225 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 Hertford actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hertford for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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