HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wilson County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Wilson County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,025 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Wilson keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,025
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$923 to $1,128
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
56th of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wilson moves to $1,069. 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 Wilson actually rent for?
Search any address in Wilson 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 | $789 | $710 to $868 | $31,560 | $15.17/hr | -0.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $794 | $715 to $873 | $31,760 | $15.27/hr | -0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,025 | $923 to $1,128 | $41,000 | $19.71/hr | +1.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,307 | $1,176 to $1,438 | $52,280 | $25.13/hr | +0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,541 | $1,387 to $1,695 | $61,640 | $29.63/hr | +3.1% |
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 | $1,772 | $1,595 to $1,949 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,003 | $1,803 to $2,203 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,234 | $2,011 to $2,457 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,466 | $2,219 to $2,713 |
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 Wilson, that runs from $789 for a studio up to $1,541 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wilson 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, Wilson included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Wilson ranks 56th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,086 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 78,667 people live here, 35th 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 27873 (Saratoga) and $1,170 in 27896 (Wilson), with the 10 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 Wilson somewhere between $923 and $1,128. 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.
$1,025 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,000 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($923) | HAP at 100% ($1,025) | HAP at 110% ($1,128) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $173 | $275 | $378 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,006) to FY 2026 ($1,025). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $638 | $657 | $748 | $980 | $1,013 | — |
| FY 2021 | $661 | $682 | $778 | $998 | $1,055 | +4.0% |
| FY 2022 | $595 | $680 | $823 | $1,029 | $1,116 | +5.8% |
| FY 2023 | $554 | $669 | $829 | $1,045 | $1,119 | +0.7% |
| FY 2024 | $645 | $767 | $952 | $1,213 | $1,327 | +14.8% |
| FY 2025 | $795 | $800 | $1,006 | $1,304 | $1,495 | +5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $789 | $794 | $1,025 | $1,307 | $1,541 | +1.9% |
| FY 2027 | $843 | $849 | $1,069 | $1,356 | $1,658 | +4.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,025 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $789 for a studio, $794 for one bedroom, $1,307 for three and $1,541 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 Wilson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wilson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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