HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Johnston County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Johnston County is $1,689 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,689
-3.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,520–$1,858
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$67,560
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
13th 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 | $1,489 | $1,340–$1,638 | $59,560 | $28.63/hr | -2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,552 | $1,397–$1,707 | $62,080 | $29.85/hr | -2.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,689 | $1,520–$1,858 | $67,560 | $32.48/hr | -3.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,103 | $1,893–$2,313 | $84,120 | $40.44/hr | -4.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,823 | $2,541–$3,105 | $112,920 | $54.29/hr | -3.8% |
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 | $3,246 | $2,921–$3,571 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,670 | $3,303–$4,037 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,093 | $3,684–$4,502 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,517 | $4,065–$4,969 |
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 Johnston actually rent for?
Search any address in Johnston 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 Johnston somewhere between $1,520 and $1,858. 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.
$1,689 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $67,560 a year. Put another way, $32 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%$1,520 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,689 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,858 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $770 | $939 | $1,108 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $320 | $489 | $658 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2026 ($1,750) to FY 2027 ($1,689). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $962 | $1,022 | $1,163 | $1,482 | $1,895 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,013 | $1,053 | $1,200 | $1,509 | $1,950 | +3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $1,038 | $1,073 | $1,223 | $1,517 | $1,982 | +1.9% |
| FY 2023 | $1,213 | $1,250 | $1,412 | $1,733 | $2,293 | +15.5% |
| FY 2024 | $1,427 | $1,466 | $1,646 | $2,035 | $2,711 | +16.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,533 | $1,592 | $1,763 | $2,192 | $2,961 | +7.1% |
| FY 2026 | $1,524 | $1,596 | $1,750 | $2,196 | $2,936 | -0.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,489 | $1,552 | $1,689 | $2,103 | $2,823 | -3.5% |
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 Johnston, that runs from $1,489 for a studio up to $2,823 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 Johnston in with 2 other counties in the Raleigh-Cary metro, Wake County, Franklin County among them, and every one of them gets $1,689 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, Johnston ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 48% above the state median of $1,145 and about 59% above the national median county at $1,063. About 234,263 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,220 in 27504 (Benson) and $1,640 in 27520 (Clayton), with the 11 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.
Counties sharing the Raleigh-Cary metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,689 two-bedroom figure as Johnston.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Johnston.
Wayne County
21 mi · 118,652 people
$1,261
-25%
Wilson County
24 mi · 79,290 people
$1,069
-37%
Wake County
26 mi · 1,178,653 people
$1,689
same rate
Harnett County
30 mi · 139,150 people
$1,051
-38%
Franklin County
34 mi · 74,386 people
$1,689
same rate
Nash County
36 mi · 96,216 people
$1,167
-31%
Greene County
38 mi · 20,486 people
$1,012
-40%
Sampson County
42 mi · 59,470 people
$1,012
-40%
Questions people ask
$1,689 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,489 for a studio, $1,552 for one bedroom, $2,103 for three and $2,823 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 Johnston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Johnston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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