HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wilkes County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$925 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wilkes County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Wilkes is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$925
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$833 to $1,018
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
100th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wilkes moves to $1,012. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $782 | $704 to $860 | $31,280 | $15.04/hr | +0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $793 | $714 to $872 | $31,720 | $15.25/hr | -1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,233 | $1,110 to $1,356 | $49,320 | $23.71/hr | -0.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,538 | $1,384 to $1,692 | $61,520 | $29.58/hr | +11.0% |
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 | $1,769 | $1,592 to $1,946 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,999 | $1,799 to $2,199 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,230 | $2,007 to $2,453 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,461 | $2,215 to $2,707 |
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 Wilkes, that runs from $782 for a studio up to $1,538 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 15% below the state median of $1,086 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 66,125 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 $930 in 28651 (Millers Creek) and $1,200 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 | $950 | +2.7% |
| 28624 | Ferguson | $970 | +4.9% |
| 28635 | Hays | $960 | +3.8% |
| 28649 | Mc Grady | $940 | +1.6% |
| 28651 | Millers Creek | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28654 | Moravian Falls | $1,200 | +29.7% |
| 28656 | North Wilkesboro | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28659 | North Wilkesboro | $990 | +7.0% |
| 28665 | Purlear | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28669 | Roaring River | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28670 | Ronda | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28683 | Thurmond | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28685 | Traphill | $930 | +0.5% |
| 28697 | Wilkesboro | $930 | +0.5% |
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 $833 and $1,018. 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.
$925 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,000 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($833) | HAP at 100% ($925) | HAP at 110% ($1,018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $83 | $175 | $268 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($925). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $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 2027 | $864 | $875 | $1,012 | $1,357 | $1,554 | +9.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$925 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $782 for a studio, $793 for one bedroom, $1,233 for three and $1,538 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 Wilkes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wilkes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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