HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Polk County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk County is $983 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$983
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$885 to $1,081
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
61st of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Polk moves to $1,012. 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 Polk actually rent for?
Search any address in Polk 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 | $824 | $742 to $906 | $32,960 | $15.85/hr | -1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $829 | $746 to $912 | $33,160 | $15.94/hr | -1.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $983 | $885 to $1,081 | $39,320 | $18.90/hr | -6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,351 | $1,216 to $1,486 | $54,040 | $25.98/hr | +1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,649 | $1,484 to $1,814 | $65,960 | $31.71/hr | -6.1% |
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 | $1,896 | $1,706 to $2,086 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,144 | $1,930 to $2,358 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,391 | $2,152 to $2,630 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,638 | $2,374 to $2,902 |
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 Polk, that runs from $824 for a studio up to $1,649 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Polk 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, Columbus included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Polk ranks 61st 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 19,538 people live here, 81st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $980 in 28750 (Lynn) and $1,380 in 28773 (Saluda), 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 Polk somewhere between $885 and $1,081. 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.
$983 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,320 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% ($885) | HAP at 100% ($983) | HAP at 110% ($1,081) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $135 | $233 | $331 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($1,046) to FY 2026 ($983). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% 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 | $564 | $568 | $746 | $930 | $1,050 | — |
| FY 2021 | $626 | $630 | $768 | $955 | $1,100 | +2.9% |
| FY 2022 | $710 | $713 | $823 | $1,017 | $1,195 | +7.2% |
| FY 2023 | $757 | $762 | $924 | $1,125 | $1,345 | +12.3% |
| FY 2024 | $787 | $792 | $1,004 | $1,214 | $1,586 | +8.7% |
| FY 2025 | $836 | $841 | $1,046 | $1,335 | $1,757 | +4.2% |
| FY 2026 | $824 | $829 | $983 | $1,351 | $1,649 | -6.0% |
| FY 2027 | $757 | $885 | $1,012 | $1,401 | $1,692 | +3.0% |
Nearby counties
Henderson County
$1,56714 mi · pop 116,469
Rutherford County
$92519 mi · pop 64,680
Buncombe County
$1,56728 mi · pop 269,449
Transylvania County
$1,16432 mi · pop 33,131
McDowell County
$92533 mi · pop 44,629
Cleveland County
$92538 mi · pop 99,527
Haywood County
$1,23045 mi · pop 62,152
Yancey County
$93547 mi · pop 18,538
Questions people ask
$983 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $824 for a studio, $829 for one bedroom, $1,351 for three and $1,649 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 Polk actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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