HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Union County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Union County is $1,686 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,686
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,517 to $1,855
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$67,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
12th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Union moves to $1,785. 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 Union actually rent for?
Search any address in Union 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 | $1,469 | $1,322 to $1,616 | $58,760 | $28.25/hr | -7.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,538 | $1,384 to $1,692 | $61,520 | $29.58/hr | -6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,686 | $1,517 to $1,855 | $67,440 | $32.42/hr | -7.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,076 | $1,868 to $2,284 | $83,040 | $39.92/hr | -7.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,637 | $2,373 to $2,901 | $105,480 | $50.71/hr | -7.5% |
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 | $3,033 | $2,730 to $3,336 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,428 | $3,085 to $3,771 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,824 | $3,442 to $4,206 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,219 | $3,797 to $4,641 |
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 Union, that runs from $1,469 for a studio up to $2,637 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 Union in with 4 other counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, Mecklenburg County, York County, Gaston County among them, and every one of them gets $1,686 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, Union ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 55% above the state median of $1,086 and about 66% above the national median county at $1,018. About 240,109 people live here, 8th in the state.
Counties sharing the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,200 in 28103 (Marshville) and $2,220 in 28079 (Indian Trail), 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 Union somewhere between $1,517 and $1,855. 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.
$1,686 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $67,440 a year. Put another way, $32 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% ($1,517) | HAP at 100% ($1,686) | HAP at 110% ($1,855) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $767 | $936 | $1,105 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $317 | $486 | $655 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2025 ($1,824) to FY 2026 ($1,686). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $907 | $934 | $1,063 | $1,423 | $1,828 | — |
| FY 2021 | $987 | $1,010 | $1,151 | $1,518 | $1,956 | +8.3% |
| FY 2022 | $996 | $1,014 | $1,155 | $1,497 | $1,942 | +0.3% |
| FY 2023 | $1,154 | $1,180 | $1,333 | $1,691 | $2,183 | +15.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,347 | $1,384 | $1,554 | $1,936 | $2,481 | +16.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,586 | $1,647 | $1,824 | $2,250 | $2,852 | +17.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | $2,637 | -7.6% |
| FY 2027 | $1,574 | $1,640 | $1,785 | $2,179 | $2,773 | +5.9% |
Nearby counties
Mecklenburg County
$1,68622 mi · pop 1,115,403
Anson County
$1,13828 mi · pop 22,200
Cabarrus County
$1,68628 mi · pop 226,396
Stanly County
$92530 mi · pop 62,723
Gaston County
$1,68639 mi · pop 228,972
Rowan County
$1,19645 mi · pop 147,067
Montgomery County
$92548 mi · pop 25,839
Richmond County
$92549 mi · pop 43,149
Questions people ask
$1,686 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,469 for a studio, $1,538 for one bedroom, $2,076 for three and $2,637 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 Union actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Union for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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