HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jackson County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Jackson County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $964 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Jackson keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$964
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$868 to $1,060
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
67th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jackson moves to $1,039. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Jackson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jackson 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 | $840 | $756 to $924 | $33,600 | $16.15/hr | +0.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $879 | $791 to $967 | $35,160 | $16.90/hr | +1.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $964 | $868 to $1,060 | $38,560 | $18.54/hr | +0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | +0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,276 | $1,148 to $1,404 | $51,040 | $24.54/hr | +0.2% |
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 | $1,467 | $1,320 to $1,614 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,659 | $1,493 to $1,825 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,850 | $1,665 to $2,035 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,042 | $1,838 to $2,246 |
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 Jackson, that runs from $840 for a studio up to $1,276 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Jackson 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, Balsam included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Jackson ranks 67th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $1,086 and about 5% below the national median county at $1,018. About 42,388 people live here, 61st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,040 in 28707 (Balsam) and $1,410 in 28788 (Webster), with the 9 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 Jackson somewhere between $868 and $1,060. 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.
$964 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,560 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% ($868) | HAP at 100% ($964) | HAP at 110% ($1,060) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $118 | $214 | $310 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($961) to FY 2026 ($964). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.7% 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 | $583 | $586 | $693 | $961 | $1,217 | — |
| FY 2021 | $615 | $620 | $718 | $1,008 | $1,151 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $626 | $637 | $726 | $1,030 | $1,146 | +1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $674 | $689 | $778 | $1,041 | $1,045 | +7.2% |
| FY 2024 | $776 | $797 | $895 | $1,187 | $1,192 | +15.0% |
| FY 2025 | $836 | $868 | $961 | $1,269 | $1,274 | +7.4% |
| FY 2026 | $840 | $879 | $964 | $1,272 | $1,276 | +0.3% |
| FY 2027 | $916 | $954 | $1,039 | $1,360 | $1,366 | +7.8% |
Nearby counties
Macon County
$98717 mi · pop 37,088
Haywood County
$1,23018 mi · pop 62,152
Swain County
$92518 mi · pop 14,130
Transylvania County
$1,16423 mi · pop 33,131
Graham County
$92535 mi · pop 8,047
Henderson County
$1,56740 mi · pop 116,469
Buncombe County
$1,56741 mi · pop 269,449
Cherokee County
$93544 mi · pop 28,868
Questions people ask
$964 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $840 for a studio, $879 for one bedroom, $1,272 for three and $1,276 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 Jackson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jackson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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