HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Rowan County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Rowan County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,196 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Rowan keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,196
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,076 to $1,316
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
36th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Rowan moves to $1,262. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Rowan actually rent for?
Search any address in Rowan 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 | $952 | $857 to $1,047 | $38,080 | $18.31/hr | -8.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $958 | $862 to $1,054 | $38,320 | $18.42/hr | -8.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,196 | $1,076 to $1,316 | $47,840 | $23.00/hr | -6.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,573 | $1,416 to $1,730 | $62,920 | $30.25/hr | -7.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,006 | $1,805 to $2,207 | $80,240 | $38.58/hr | -7.0% |
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 | $2,307 | $2,076 to $2,538 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,608 | $2,347 to $2,869 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,909 | $2,618 to $3,200 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,210 | $2,889 to $3,531 |
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 Rowan, that runs from $952 for a studio up to $2,006 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Rowan is its own HUD metro area (Rowan County, NC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Rowan ranks 36th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $1,086 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,018. About 147,067 people live here, 19th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,160 in 27054 (Woodleaf) and $1,320 in 28125 (Mount Ulla), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27013 | Cleveland | $1,250 | +4.5% |
| 27054 | Woodleaf | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28023 | China Grove | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28039 | East Spencer | $1,250 | +4.5% |
| 28041 | Faith | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28071 | Gold Hill | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28072 | Granite Quarry | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28088 | Landis | $1,210 | +1.2% |
| 28125 | Mount Ulla | $1,320 | +10.4% |
| 28138 | Rockwell | $1,240 | +3.7% |
| 28144 | Salisbury | $1,250 | +4.5% |
| 28145 | Salisbury | $1,200 | +0.3% |
| 28146 | Salisbury | $1,160 | -3.0% |
| 28147 | Salisbury | $1,220 | +2.0% |
| 28159 | Spencer | $1,290 | +7.9% |
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 Rowan somewhere between $1,076 and $1,316. 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.
$1,196 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,840 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,076) | HAP at 100% ($1,196) | HAP at 110% ($1,316) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $326 | $446 | $566 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $116 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 7% from FY 2025 ($1,285) to FY 2026 ($1,196). 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 | $653 | $681 | $842 | $1,111 | $1,141 | — |
| FY 2021 | $715 | $724 | $891 | $1,158 | $1,208 | +5.8% |
| FY 2022 | $707 | $712 | $874 | $1,144 | $1,185 | -1.9% |
| FY 2023 | $800 | $805 | $980 | $1,270 | $1,388 | +12.1% |
| FY 2024 | $925 | $931 | $1,121 | $1,483 | $1,702 | +14.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,044 | $1,050 | $1,285 | $1,691 | $2,158 | +14.6% |
| FY 2026 | $952 | $958 | $1,196 | $1,573 | $2,006 | -6.9% |
| FY 2027 | $992 | $1,012 | $1,262 | $1,604 | $2,109 | +5.5% |
Nearby counties
Cabarrus County
$1,68618 mi · pop 226,396
Davie County
$1,23219 mi · pop 43,030
Davidson County
$96020 mi · pop 169,498
Iredell County
$1,34023 mi · pop 187,839
Stanly County
$92525 mi · pop 62,723
Mecklenburg County
$1,68633 mi · pop 1,115,403
Forsyth County
$1,23235 mi · pop 383,739
Catawba County
$1,09537 mi · pop 161,011
Questions people ask
$1,196 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $952 for a studio, $958 for one bedroom, $1,573 for three and $2,006 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 Rowan actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Rowan for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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