HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Pamlico County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Pamlico County is $1,077 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,077
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$969 to $1,185
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
51st of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Pamlico moves to $1,088. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Pamlico actually rent for?
Search any address in Pamlico 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 | $861 | $775 to $947 | $34,440 | $16.56/hr | -4.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | -4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,077 | $969 to $1,185 | $43,080 | $20.71/hr | -9.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,291 | $1,162 to $1,420 | $51,640 | $24.83/hr | -9.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,618 | $1,456 to $1,780 | $64,720 | $31.12/hr | +2.7% |
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 | $1,861 | $1,675 to $2,047 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,103 | $1,893 to $2,313 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,346 | $2,111 to $2,581 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,589 | $2,330 to $2,848 |
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 Pamlico, that runs from $861 for a studio up to $1,618 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Pamlico 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, Alliance included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Pamlico ranks 51st for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,086 and about 6% above the national median county at $1,018. About 12,317 people live here, 91st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 28515 (Bayboro) and $1,350 in 28571 (Oriental), with the 10 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 Pamlico somewhere between $969 and $1,185. 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.
$1,077 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,080 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($969) | HAP at 100% ($1,077) | HAP at 110% ($1,185) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $219 | $327 | $435 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 9% from FY 2025 ($1,188) to FY 2026 ($1,077). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.0% 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 | $589 | $599 | $758 | $945 | $1,331 | — |
| FY 2021 | $624 | $628 | $795 | $989 | $1,376 | +4.9% |
| FY 2022 | $639 | $644 | $847 | $1,047 | $1,450 | +6.5% |
| FY 2023 | $762 | $767 | $1,004 | $1,222 | $1,559 | +18.5% |
| FY 2024 | $860 | $866 | $1,138 | $1,376 | $1,578 | +13.3% |
| FY 2025 | $900 | $906 | $1,188 | $1,431 | $1,575 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $861 | $866 | $1,077 | $1,291 | $1,618 | -9.3% |
| FY 2027 | $872 | $878 | $1,088 | $1,309 | $1,646 | +1.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,077 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $861 for a studio, $866 for one bedroom, $1,291 for three and $1,618 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 Pamlico actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pamlico for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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