HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Richmond County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Richmond County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $925 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Richmond keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$925
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$833 to $1,018
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
89th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Richmond moves to $1,012. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Richmond actually rent for?
Search any address in Richmond 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 | $714 | $643 to $785 | $28,560 | $13.73/hr | -6.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $814 | $733 to $895 | $32,560 | $15.65/hr | -3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,286 | $1,157 to $1,415 | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | -1.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,406 | $1,265 to $1,547 | $56,240 | $27.04/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $1,617 | $1,455 to $1,779 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,828 | $1,645 to $2,011 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,039 | $1,835 to $2,243 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,250 | $2,025 to $2,475 |
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 Richmond, that runs from $714 for a studio up to $1,406 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Richmond 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, Rockingham included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Richmond ranks 89th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% below the state median of $1,086 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 43,149 people live here, 58th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 28338 (Ellerbe) and $1,030 in 28347 (Hoffman), with the 8 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 Richmond somewhere between $833 and $1,018. 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.
$925 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,000 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($833) | HAP at 100% ($925) | HAP at 110% ($1,018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $83 | $175 | $268 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($925). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $573 | $587 | $671 | $882 | $1,030 | — |
| FY 2021 | $594 | $608 | $693 | $942 | $1,117 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $624 | $635 | $724 | $1,020 | $1,239 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $642 | $683 | $771 | $1,096 | $1,313 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $720 | $762 | $856 | $1,206 | $1,453 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $767 | $840 | $930 | $1,303 | $1,562 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $714 | $814 | $925 | $1,286 | $1,406 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027 | $757 | $786 | $1,012 | $1,352 | $1,531 | +9.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $714 for a studio, $814 for one bedroom, $1,286 for three and $1,406 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 Richmond actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Richmond for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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