HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Yancey County, North Carolina (FY 2026)
$935 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Yancey County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Yancey is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$935
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$842 to $1,029
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Carolina
72nd of 100
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Yancey moves to $1,050. That's up 12%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Yancey actually rent for?
Search any address in Yancey 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 | $708 | $637 to $779 | $28,320 | $13.62/hr | +0.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $713 | $642 to $784 | $28,520 | $13.71/hr | +0.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $935 | $842 to $1,029 | $37,400 | $17.98/hr | +0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,233 | $1,110 to $1,356 | $49,320 | $23.71/hr | +0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,238 | $1,114 to $1,362 | $49,520 | $23.81/hr | +0.4% |
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 | $1,424 | $1,282 to $1,566 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,609 | $1,448 to $1,770 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,795 | $1,616 to $1,975 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,981 | $1,783 to $2,179 |
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 Yancey, that runs from $708 for a studio up to $1,238 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Yancey 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, Burnsville included.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Yancey ranks 72nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% below the state median of $1,086 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 18,538 people live here, 83rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 28755 (Micaville) and $1,370 in 28714 (Burnsville), with the 3 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 Yancey somewhere between $842 and $1,029. 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.
$935 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,400 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% ($842) | HAP at 100% ($935) | HAP at 110% ($1,029) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $92 | $185 | $279 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($935). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.7% 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 | $514 | $517 | $671 | $886 | $1,067 | — |
| FY 2021 | $505 | $550 | $693 | $918 | $1,062 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $528 | $566 | $724 | $977 | $1,154 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $555 | $593 | $771 | $1,055 | $1,148 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $647 | $651 | $856 | $1,136 | $1,140 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $704 | $709 | $930 | $1,228 | $1,233 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $708 | $713 | $935 | $1,233 | $1,238 | +0.5% |
| FY 2027 | $797 | $803 | $1,050 | $1,352 | $1,380 | +12.3% |
Nearby counties
Mitchell County
$9258 mi · pop 14,989
McDowell County
$92519 mi · pop 44,629
Avery County
$1,00521 mi · pop 17,679
Madison County
$1,56726 mi · pop 21,414
Buncombe County
$1,56728 mi · pop 269,449
Burke County
$1,09536 mi · pop 87,799
Watauga County
$1,17736 mi · pop 54,540
Caldwell County
$1,09540 mi · pop 80,716
Questions people ask
$935 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $708 for a studio, $713 for one bedroom, $1,233 for three and $1,238 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 Yancey actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Yancey for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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