HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lee County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,136 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,136
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,022 to $1,250
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
45th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lee moves to $1,179. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lee actually rent for?
Search any address in Lee 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 | $874 | $787 to $961 | $34,960 | $16.81/hr | -5.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $880 | $792 to $968 | $35,200 | $16.92/hr | -5.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,136 | $1,022 to $1,250 | $45,440 | $21.85/hr | -3.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,362 | $1,226 to $1,498 | $54,480 | $26.19/hr | -3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,715 | $1,544 to $1,887 | $68,600 | $32.98/hr | -3.3% |
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 | $1,972 | $1,775 to $2,169 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,230 | $2,007 to $2,453 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,487 | $2,238 to $2,736 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,744 | $2,470 to $3,018 |
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 Lee, that runs from $874 for a studio up to $1,715 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lee 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, Sanford included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Lee ranks 45th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,086 and about 12% above the national median county at $1,018. About 63,560 people live here, 42nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 27505 (Broadway) and $1,690 in 27330 (Sanford), with the 5 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 Lee somewhere between $1,022 and $1,250. 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.
$1,136 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,440 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,022) | HAP at 100% ($1,136) | HAP at 110% ($1,250) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $272 | $386 | $500 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $50 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($1,172) to FY 2026 ($1,136). Since FY 2020 it's up 55% in total, about 7.6% 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 | $625 | $643 | $732 | $949 | $992 | — |
| FY 2021 | $660 | $682 | $777 | $980 | $1,054 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $671 | $723 | $824 | $1,030 | $1,196 | +6.0% |
| FY 2023 | $736 | $792 | $894 | $1,103 | $1,346 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $842 | $871 | $1,011 | $1,242 | $1,566 | +13.1% |
| FY 2025 | $922 | $928 | $1,172 | $1,412 | $1,774 | +15.9% |
| FY 2026 | $874 | $880 | $1,136 | $1,362 | $1,715 | -3.1% |
| FY 2027 | $906 | $912 | $1,179 | $1,405 | $1,805 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
Chatham County
$1,71117 mi · pop 76,754
Harnett County
$98021 mi · pop 134,718
Moore County
$1,35822 mi · pop 100,759
Cumberland County
$1,25130 mi · pop 335,207
Hoke County
$99832 mi · pop 52,612
Wake County
$1,75037 mi · pop 1,132,103
Orange County
$1,71138 mi · pop 145,919
Montgomery County
$92539 mi · pop 25,839
Questions people ask
$1,136 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $874 for a studio, $880 for one bedroom, $1,362 for three and $1,715 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 Lee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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