HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Stokes County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$1,232 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Stokes County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Stokes is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,232
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,109 to $1,355
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
29th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Stokes moves to $1,332. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Stokes actually rent for?
Search any address in Stokes 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 | $995 | $896 to $1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +5.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,082 | $974 to $1,190 | $43,280 | $20.81/hr | +9.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,232 | $1,109 to $1,355 | $49,280 | $23.69/hr | +5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,607 | $1,446 to $1,768 | $64,280 | $30.90/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,898 | $1,708 to $2,088 | $75,920 | $36.50/hr | +5.8% |
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 | $2,183 | $1,965 to $2,401 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,467 | $2,220 to $2,714 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,752 | $2,477 to $3,027 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,037 | $2,733 to $3,341 |
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 Stokes, that runs from $995 for a studio up to $1,898 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Stokes in with 3 other counties in the Winston-Salem metro, Forsyth County, Davie County, Yadkin County among them, and every one of them gets $1,232 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Stokes ranks 29th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 13% above the state median of $1,086 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,018. About 44,696 people live here, 56th in the state.
Counties sharing the Winston-Salem metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 27046 (Sandy Ridge) and $1,310 in 27016 (Danbury), 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 Stokes somewhere between $1,109 and $1,355. 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.
$1,232 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,280 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,109) | HAP at 100% ($1,232) | HAP at 110% ($1,355) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $359 | $482 | $605 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $32 | $155 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,163) to FY 2026 ($1,232). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 8.3% 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 | $580 | $617 | $763 | $1,028 | $1,256 | — |
| FY 2021 | $624 | $670 | $825 | $1,111 | $1,322 | +8.1% |
| FY 2022 | $623 | $664 | $808 | $1,075 | $1,249 | -2.1% |
| FY 2023 | $774 | $805 | $969 | $1,280 | $1,486 | +19.9% |
| FY 2024 | $897 | $936 | $1,110 | $1,452 | $1,671 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $945 | $992 | $1,163 | $1,526 | $1,794 | +4.8% |
| FY 2026 | $995 | $1,082 | $1,232 | $1,607 | $1,898 | +5.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,079 | $1,224 | $1,332 | $1,754 | $2,135 | +8.1% |
Nearby counties
Forsyth County
$1,23219 mi · pop 383,739
Rockingham County
$1,04024 mi · pop 91,209
Surry County
$92524 mi · pop 71,429
Yadkin County
$1,23229 mi · pop 37,280
Guilford County
$1,33031 mi · pop 539,557
Davie County
$1,23236 mi · pop 43,030
Davidson County
$96038 mi · pop 169,498
Alleghany County
$97849 mi · pop 10,989
Questions people ask
$1,232 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $995 for a studio, $1,082 for one bedroom, $1,607 for three and $1,898 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 Stokes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Stokes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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