HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mecklenburg County is $1,785 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,785
+5.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,607–$1,964
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$71,400
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
6th 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 | $1,574 | $1,417–$1,731 | $62,960 | $30.27/hr | +7.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,640 | $1,476–$1,804 | $65,600 | $31.54/hr | +6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,785 | $1,607–$1,964 | $71,400 | $34.33/hr | +5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,179 | $1,961–$2,397 | $87,160 | $41.90/hr | +5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,773 | $2,496–$3,050 | $110,920 | $53.33/hr | +5.2% |
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 | $3,189 | $2,870–$3,508 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,605 | $3,245–$3,966 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,021 | $3,619–$4,423 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,437 | $3,993–$4,881 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Charlotte are asking $2,028. HUD says $1,785.
That's 14% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 17 Charlotte ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Mecklenburg somewhere between $1,607 and $1,964. 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.
$1,785 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $71,400 a year. Put another way, $34 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%$1,607 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,785 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,964 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $857 | $1,035 | $1,214 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $407 | $585 | $764 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($1,686) to FY 2027 ($1,785). Since FY 2020 it's up 68% in total, about 7.7% 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 | $907 | $934 | $1,063 | $1,423 | $1,828 | — |
| FY 2021 | $987 | $1,010 | $1,151 | $1,518 | $1,956 | +8.3% |
| FY 2022 | $996 | $1,014 | $1,155 | $1,497 | $1,942 | +0.3% |
| FY 2023 | $1,154 | $1,180 | $1,333 | $1,691 | $2,183 | +15.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,347 | $1,384 | $1,554 | $1,936 | $2,481 | +16.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,586 | $1,647 | $1,824 | $2,250 | $2,852 | +17.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 | -7.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,574 | $1,640 | $1,785 | $2,179 | $2,773 | +5.9% |
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 Mecklenburg, that runs from $1,574 for a studio up to $2,773 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 Mecklenburg in with 4 other counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, York County, Union County, Cabarrus County among them, and every one of them gets $1,785 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, Mecklenburg ranks 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 56% above the state median of $1,145 and about 68% above the national median county at $1,063. About 1,154,681 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,500 in 28208 (Charlotte) and $2,680 in 28202 (Charlotte), with the 66 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28031 | Cornelius | $2,000 | +12.0% |
| 28036 | Davidson | $2,040 | +14.3% |
| 28070 | Huntersville | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28078 | Huntersville | $2,150 | +20.4% |
| 28104 | Matthews | $2,150 | +20.4% |
| 28105 | Matthews | $1,970 | +10.4% |
| 28106 | Matthews | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28126 | Newell | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28130 | Paw Creek | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28134 | Pineville | $2,010 | +12.6% |
| 28201 | Charlotte | $1,785County rate | — |
| 28202 | Charlotte | $2,680 | +50.1% |
| 28203 | Charlotte | $2,680 | +50.1% |
| 28204 | Charlotte | $2,380 | +33.3% |
| 28205 | Charlotte | $1,680 | -5.9% |
| 28206 | Charlotte | $1,580 | -11.5% |
| 28207 | Charlotte | $1,960 | +9.8% |
| 28208 | Charlotte | $1,500 | -16.0% |
| 28209 | Charlotte | $1,930 | +8.1% |
| 28210 | Charlotte | $1,940 | +8.7% |
| 28211 | Charlotte | $2,090 | +17.1% |
| 28212 | Charlotte | $1,750 | -2.0% |
| 28213 | Charlotte | $1,650 | -7.6% |
| 28214 | Charlotte | $1,940 | +8.7% |
| 28215 | Charlotte | $1,910 | +7.0% |
| 28216 | Charlotte | $1,840 | +3.1% |
| 28217 | Charlotte | $2,030 | +13.7% |
| 28218 | Charlotte | $1,785County rate | — |
| 28219 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28220 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28221 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28222 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28223 | Charlotte | $1,920 | +7.6% |
| 28224 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28226 | Charlotte | $1,830 | +2.5% |
| 28227 | Charlotte | $1,770 | -0.8% |
| 28228 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28229 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28230 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
| 28231 | Charlotte | $1,890 | +5.9% |
Counties sharing the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,785 two-bedroom figure as Mecklenburg.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Mecklenburg.
Cabarrus County
18 mi · 236,133 people
$1,785
same rate
Gaston County
18 mi · 234,881 people
$1,785
same rate
Union County
22 mi · 250,958 people
$1,785
same rate
Lincoln County
28 mi · 92,716 people
$1,138
-36%
Stanly County
32 mi · 64,651 people
$1,012
-43%
Rowan County
33 mi · 149,875 people
$1,262
-29%
Catawba County
36 mi · 163,573 people
$1,147
-36%
Iredell County
38 mi · 196,544 people
$1,429
-20%
Questions people ask
$1,785 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,574 for a studio, $1,640 for one bedroom, $2,179 for three and $2,773 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 Mecklenburg actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mecklenburg for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.