HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Swain County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Swain County is $1,012 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,012
+9.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$911–$1,113
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$40,480
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
95th of 100
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $892 | $803–$981 | $35,680 | $17.15/hr | +10.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $906 | $815–$997 | $36,240 | $17.42/hr | +11.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,012 | $911–$1,113 | $40,480 | $19.46/hr | +9.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,292 | $1,163–$1,421 | $51,680 | $24.85/hr | +2.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,531 | $1,378–$1,684 | $61,240 | $29.44/hr | +10.1% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,761 | $1,585–$1,937 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,990 | $1,791–$2,189 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,220 | $1,998–$2,442 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,450 | $2,205–$2,695 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Swain actually rent for?
Search any address in Swain for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Swain somewhere between $911 and $1,113. 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.
$1,012 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,480 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$911 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,012 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,113 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $161 | $262 | $363 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2026 ($925) to FY 2027 ($1,012). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 6.0% a year. The North Carolina median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $573 | $589 | $671 | $845 | $1,067 | — |
| FY 2021 | $589 | $608 | $693 | $899 | $1,111 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $575 | $579 | $724 | $986 | $1,143 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $617 | $621 | $771 | $1,082 | $1,209 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $652 | $656 | $856 | $1,206 | $1,305 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $757 | $762 | $930 | $1,303 | $1,398 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $806 | $813 | $925 | $1,264 | $1,390 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $892 | $906 | $1,012 | $1,292 | $1,531 | +9.4% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Swain, that runs from $892 for a studio up to $1,531 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Swain 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, Almond included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Swain ranks 95th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% below the state median of $1,145 and about 5% below the national median county at $1,063. About 14,013 people live here, 88th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 28713 (Bryson City) and $1,120 in 28719 (Cherokee), with the 3 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Swain.
Jackson County
18 mi · 43,771 people
$1,039
+3%
Graham County
20 mi · 8,072 people
$1,012
same rate
Macon County
24 mi · 37,941 people
$1,015
same rate
Haywood County
27 mi · 62,662 people
$1,250
+24%
Cherokee County
34 mi · 29,562 people
$1,012
same rate
Clay County
38 mi · 11,610 people
$1,087
+7%
Transylvania County
41 mi · 33,691 people
$1,386
+37%
Madison County
49 mi · 21,867 people
$1,866
+84%
Questions people ask
$1,012 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $892 for a studio, $906 for one bedroom, $1,292 for three and $1,531 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Swain actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Swain for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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