HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Macon County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Macon County is $987 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$987
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$888 to $1,086
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
60th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Macon moves to $1,015. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Macon actually rent for?
Search any address in Macon 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 | $681 | $613 to $749 | $27,240 | $13.10/hr | -5.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $830 | $747 to $913 | $33,200 | $15.96/hr | -7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $987 | $888 to $1,086 | $39,480 | $18.98/hr | -3.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,183 | $1,065 to $1,301 | $47,320 | $22.75/hr | -3.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,325 | $1,193 to $1,458 | $53,000 | $25.48/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 | $1,524 | $1,372 to $1,676 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,723 | $1,551 to $1,895 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,921 | $1,729 to $2,113 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,120 | $1,908 to $2,332 |
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 Macon, that runs from $681 for a studio up to $1,325 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Macon 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, Franklin included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Macon ranks 60th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% below the state median of $1,086 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,018. About 37,088 people live here, 66th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 28734 (Franklin) and $1,240 in 28775 (Scaly Mountain), 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 Macon somewhere between $888 and $1,086. 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.
$987 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,480 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% ($888) | HAP at 100% ($987) | HAP at 110% ($1,086) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $138 | $237 | $336 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($1,022) to FY 2026 ($987). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.8% 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 | $586 | $590 | $746 | $948 | $1,310 | — |
| FY 2021 | $621 | $625 | $759 | $956 | $1,314 | +1.7% |
| FY 2022 | $660 | $695 | $811 | $1,003 | $1,388 | +6.9% |
| FY 2023 | $725 | $780 | $881 | $1,072 | $1,407 | +8.6% |
| FY 2024 | $802 | $849 | $962 | $1,163 | $1,437 | +9.2% |
| FY 2025 | $722 | $894 | $1,022 | $1,231 | $1,426 | +6.2% |
| FY 2026 | $681 | $830 | $987 | $1,183 | $1,325 | -3.4% |
| FY 2027 | $707 | $851 | $1,015 | $1,236 | $1,335 | +2.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$987 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $681 for a studio, $830 for one bedroom, $1,183 for three and $1,325 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 Macon actually go for?
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