HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Vance County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$975 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Vance County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Vance is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$975
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$878 to $1,073
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
65th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Vance moves to $1,012. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Vance actually rent for?
Search any address in Vance 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 | $738 | $664 to $812 | $29,520 | $14.19/hr | -4.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $743 | $669 to $817 | $29,720 | $14.29/hr | -4.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $975 | $878 to $1,073 | $39,000 | $18.75/hr | -4.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,197 | $1,077 to $1,317 | $47,880 | $23.02/hr | -4.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,318 | $1,186 to $1,450 | $52,720 | $25.35/hr | -5.0% |
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 | $1,516 | $1,364 to $1,668 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,713 | $1,542 to $1,884 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,911 | $1,720 to $2,102 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,109 | $1,898 to $2,320 |
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 Vance, that runs from $738 for a studio up to $1,318 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Vance 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, Henderson included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Vance ranks 65th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,086 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 42,492 people live here, 60th 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 27553 (Manson) and $1,350 in 27537 (Henderson), with the 6 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 Vance somewhere between $878 and $1,073. 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.
$975 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,000 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($878) | HAP at 100% ($975) | HAP at 110% ($1,073) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $128 | $225 | $323 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2025 ($1,022) to FY 2026 ($975). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $469 | $589 | $671 | $947 | $1,070 | — |
| FY 2021 | $540 | $608 | $693 | $979 | $1,113 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $631 | $640 | $741 | $1,006 | $1,175 | +6.9% |
| FY 2023 | $644 | $648 | $804 | $1,040 | $1,235 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $707 | $712 | $909 | $1,125 | $1,319 | +13.1% |
| FY 2025 | $774 | $779 | $1,022 | $1,250 | $1,388 | +12.4% |
| FY 2026 | $738 | $743 | $975 | $1,197 | $1,318 | -4.6% |
| FY 2027 | $769 | $774 | $1,012 | $1,261 | $1,333 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$975 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $738 for a studio, $743 for one bedroom, $1,197 for three and $1,318 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 Vance actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Vance for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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