HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Wilkes County, North Carolina (FY 2027)
$1,012 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wilkes County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Wilkes is measured against.
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
100th 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 | $864 | $778–$950 | $34,560 | $16.62/hr | +10.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $875 | $788–$963 | $35,000 | $16.83/hr | +10.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,012 | $911–$1,113 | $40,480 | $19.46/hr | +9.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,357 | $1,221–$1,493 | $54,280 | $26.10/hr | +10.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,554 | $1,399–$1,709 | $62,160 | $29.88/hr | +1.0% |
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 | $1,787 | $1,608–$1,966 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,020 | $1,818–$2,222 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,253 | $2,028–$2,478 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,486 | $2,237–$2,735 |
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 Wilkes actually rent for?
Search any address in Wilkes 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 Wilkes 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 | $506 | $509 | $671 | $957 | $1,093 | — |
| FY 2021 | $539 | $543 | $693 | $992 | $1,120 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $589 | $610 | $724 | $998 | $1,127 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $635 | $662 | $771 | $1,033 | $1,152 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $713 | $745 | $856 | $1,139 | $1,274 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $780 | $807 | $930 | $1,244 | $1,386 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $782 | $793 | $925 | $1,233 | $1,538 | -0.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $864 | $875 | $1,012 | $1,357 | $1,554 | +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 Wilkes, that runs from $864 for a studio up to $1,554 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wilkes 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, North Wilkesboro included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Wilkes ranks 100th 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 65,935 people live here, 40th 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 28651 (Millers Creek) and $1,260 in 28654 (Moravian Falls), with the 14 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28606 | Boomer | $1,070 | +5.7% |
| 28624 | Ferguson | $1,070 | +5.7% |
| 28635 | Hays | $1,040 | +2.8% |
| 28649 | Mc Grady | $1,020 | +0.8% |
| 28651 | Millers Creek | $1,010 | -0.2% |
| 28654 | Moravian Falls | $1,260 | +24.5% |
| 28656 | North Wilkesboro | $1,010 | -0.2% |
| 28659 | North Wilkesboro | $1,050 | +3.8% |
| 28665 | Purlear | $1,010 | -0.2% |
| 28669 | Roaring River | $1,030 | +1.8% |
| 28670 | Ronda | $1,010 | -0.2% |
| 28683 | Thurmond | $1,010 | -0.2% |
| 28685 | Traphill | $1,030 | +1.8% |
| 28697 | Wilkesboro | $1,020 | +0.8% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Wilkes.
Alleghany County
19 mi · 11,174 people
$1,048
+4%
Alexander County
21 mi · 36,412 people
$1,147
+13%
Ashe County
23 mi · 26,950 people
$1,012
same rate
Yadkin County
26 mi · 37,574 people
$1,332
+32%
Surry County
30 mi · 71,425 people
$1,012
same rate
Caldwell County
31 mi · 80,536 people
$1,147
+13%
Watauga County
32 mi · 55,123 people
$1,311
+30%
Iredell County
33 mi · 196,544 people
$1,429
+41%
Questions people ask
$1,012 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $864 for a studio, $875 for one bedroom, $1,357 for three and $1,554 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 Wilkes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wilkes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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