HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sampson County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$925 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sampson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Sampson is measured against.
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
92nd of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sampson 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 Sampson actually rent for?
Search any address in Sampson 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 | $663 | $597 to $729 | $26,520 | $12.75/hr | -6.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $806 | $725 to $887 | $32,240 | $15.50/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,109 | $998 to $1,220 | $44,360 | $21.33/hr | -1.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,302 | $1,172 to $1,432 | $52,080 | $25.04/hr | -2.6% |
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 | $1,497 | $1,347 to $1,647 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,693 | $1,524 to $1,862 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,888 | $1,699 to $2,077 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,083 | $1,875 to $2,291 |
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 Sampson, that runs from $663 for a studio up to $1,302 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sampson 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, Clinton included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Sampson ranks 92nd 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 59,317 people live here, 47th 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 28328 (Clinton) and $1,350 in 28366 (Newton Grove), 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 Sampson 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 | $509 | $512 | $671 | $925 | $1,051 | — |
| FY 2021 | $522 | $526 | $693 | $924 | $1,113 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $547 | $550 | $724 | $930 | $1,121 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $606 | $610 | $771 | $983 | $1,172 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $684 | $725 | $856 | $1,074 | $1,260 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $709 | $797 | $930 | $1,131 | $1,337 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $663 | $806 | $925 | $1,109 | $1,302 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027 | $761 | $842 | $1,012 | $1,206 | $1,398 | +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 $663 for a studio, $806 for one bedroom, $1,109 for three and $1,302 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 Sampson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sampson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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