HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Rutherford County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Rutherford County is $925 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
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
91st of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Rutherford 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 Rutherford actually rent for?
Search any address in Rutherford 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 | $801 | $721 to $881 | $32,040 | $15.40/hr | -0.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $806 | $725 to $887 | $32,240 | $15.50/hr | -0.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,275 | $1,148 to $1,403 | $51,000 | $24.52/hr | +1.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,332 | $1,199 to $1,465 | $53,280 | $25.62/hr | -7.6% |
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 | $1,532 | $1,379 to $1,685 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,732 | $1,559 to $1,905 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,931 | $1,738 to $2,124 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,131 | $1,918 to $2,344 |
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 Rutherford, that runs from $801 for a studio up to $1,332 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Rutherford 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, Bostic included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Rutherford ranks 91st 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 64,680 people live here, 41st 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 28019 (Caroleen) and $1,390 in 28720 (Chimney Rock), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28018 | Bostic | $1,040 | +12.4% |
| 28019 | Caroleen | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28024 | Cliffside | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28040 | Ellenboro | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28043 | Forest City | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28074 | Harris | $980 | +5.9% |
| 28076 | Henrietta | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28139 | Rutherfordton | $1,060 | +14.6% |
| 28160 | Spindale | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28167 | Union Mills | $1,030 | +11.4% |
| 28720 | Chimney Rock | $1,390 | +50.3% |
| 28746 | Lake Lure | $1,370 | +48.1% |
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 Rutherford 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 | $506 | $509 | $671 | $842 | $1,005 | — |
| FY 2021 | $522 | $526 | $693 | $862 | $993 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $563 | $567 | $724 | $895 | $1,060 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $643 | $646 | $771 | $975 | $1,188 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $733 | $737 | $856 | $1,117 | $1,367 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $803 | $807 | $930 | $1,255 | $1,442 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $801 | $806 | $925 | $1,275 | $1,332 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027 | $861 | $866 | $1,012 | $1,354 | $1,374 | +9.4% |
Nearby counties
Polk County
$98319 mi · pop 19,538
Cleveland County
$92520 mi · pop 99,527
McDowell County
$92526 mi · pop 44,629
Henderson County
$1,56730 mi · pop 116,469
Burke County
$1,09533 mi · pop 87,799
Buncombe County
$1,56738 mi · pop 269,449
Lincoln County
$1,05440 mi · pop 87,933
Caldwell County
$1,09543 mi · pop 80,716
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $801 for a studio, $806 for one bedroom, $1,275 for three and $1,332 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 Rutherford actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Rutherford for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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