Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly)

Buncombe County had the highest fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly) of 100 counties in 2021, at $1,099. Warren County had the lowest, at $526. The median was $623. Source: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,099Buncombe County
Lowest526Warren County
Median623100 counties

Map of counties, 2021

Alamance County: 682 USDAlexander County: 560 USDAlleghany County: 526 USDAnson County: 537 USDAshe County: 535 USDAvery County: 599 USDBeaufort County: 582 USDBertie County: 533 USDBladen County: 526 USDBrunswick County: 720 USDBuncombe County: 1,099 USDBurke County: 560 USDCabarrus County: 1,010 USDCaldwell County: 560 USDCamden County: 873 USDCarteret County: 642 USDCaswell County: 608 USDCatawba County: 560 USDChatham County: 974 USDCherokee County: 548 USDChowan County: 647 USDClay County: 665 USDCleveland County: 545 USDColumbus County: 550 USDCraven County: 750 USDCumberland County: 743 USDCurrituck County: 972 USDDare County: 852 USDDavidson County: 562 USDDavie County: 670 USDDuplin County: 530 USDDurham County: 974 USDEdgecombe County: 604 USDForsyth County: 670 USDFranklin County: 1,053 USDGaston County: 1,010 USDGates County: 630 USDGraham County: 540 USDGranville County: 630 USDGreene County: 526 USDGuilford County: 750 USDHalifax County: 568 USDHarnett County: 599 USDHaywood County: 726 USDHenderson County: 1,099 USDHertford County: 583 USDHoke County: 641 USDHyde County: 597 USDIredell County: 810 USDJackson County: 620 USDJohnston County: 1,053 USDJones County: 558 USDLee County: 682 USDLenoir County: 567 USDLincoln County: 682 USDMcDowell County: 588 USDMacon County: 625 USDMadison County: 1,099 USDMartin County: 541 USDMecklenburg County: 1,010 USDMitchell County: 526 USDMontgomery County: 537 USDMoore County: 687 USDNash County: 604 USDNew Hanover County: 873 USDNorthampton County: 526 USDOnslow County: 721 USDOrange County: 974 USDPamlico County: 628 USDPasquotank County: 625 USDPender County: 692 USDPerquimans County: 660 USDPerson County: 574 USDPitt County: 704 USDPolk County: 630 USDRandolph County: 750 USDRichmond County: 608 USDRobeson County: 526 USDRockingham County: 537 USDRowan County: 724 USDRutherford County: 526 USDSampson County: 526 USDScotland County: 526 USDStanly County: 574 USDStokes County: 670 USDSurry County: 545 USDSwain County: 608 USDTransylvania County: 536 USDTyrrell County: 588 USDUnion County: 1,010 USDVance County: 608 USDWake County: 1,053 USDWarren County: 526 USDWashington County: 555 USDWatauga County: 660 USDWayne County: 628 USDWilkes County: 543 USDWilson County: 682 USDYadkin County: 670 USDYancey County: 550 USD
  • Under 540
  • 540 to 570
  • 570 to 620
  • 620 to 670
  • 670 to 830
  • 830 and over
USD, 2021. Source: HUD, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Buncombe County: 1,099 USDBuncombe County1,099Henderson County: 1,099 USDHenderson County1,099Madison County: 1,099 USDMadison County1,099Franklin County: 1,053 USDFranklin County1,053Johnston County: 1,053 USDJohnston County1,053Wake County: 1,053 USDWake County1,053Cabarrus County: 1,010 USDCabarrus County1,010Gaston County: 1,010 USDGaston County1,010Mecklenburg County: 1,010 USDMecklenburg County1,010Union County: 1,010 USDUnion County1,010Chatham County: 974 USDChatham County974Durham County: 974 USDDurham County974Orange County: 974 USDOrange County974Currituck County: 972 USDCurrituck County972Camden County: 873 USDCamden County873New Hanover County: 873 USDNew Hanover County873Dare County: 852 USDDare County852Iredell County: 810 USDIredell County810Craven County: 750 USDCraven County750Guilford County: 750 USDGuilford County750Randolph County: 750 USDRandolph County750Cumberland County: 743 USDCumberland County743Haywood County: 726 USDHaywood County726Rowan County: 724 USDRowan County724Onslow County: 721 USDOnslow County721Brunswick County: 720 USDBrunswick County720Pitt County: 704 USDPitt County704Pender County: 692 USDPender County692Moore County: 687 USDMoore County687Alamance County: 682 USDAlamance County682Lee County: 682 USDLee County682Lincoln County: 682 USDLincoln County682Wilson County: 682 USDWilson County682Davie County: 670 USDDavie County670Forsyth County: 670 USDForsyth County670Stokes County: 670 USDStokes County670Yadkin County: 670 USDYadkin County670Clay County: 665 USDClay County665Perquimans County: 660 USDPerquimans County660Watauga County: 660 USDWatauga County660Buncombe County: 1,099 USDBuncombe County1,099Henderson County: 1,099 USDHenderson County1,099Madison County: 1,099 USDMadison County1,099Franklin County: 1,053 USDFranklin County1,053Johnston County: 1,053 USDJohnston County1,053Wake County: 1,053 USDWake County1,053Cabarrus County: 1,010 USDCabarrus County1,010Gaston County: 1,010 USDGaston County1,010Mecklenburg County: 1,010 USDMecklenburg County1,010Union County: 1,010 USDUnion County1,010Chatham County: 974 USDChatham County974Durham County: 974 USDDurham County974Orange County: 974 USDOrange County974Currituck County: 972 USDCurrituck County972Camden County: 873 USDCamden County873New Hanover County: 873 USDNew Hanover County873Dare County: 852 USDDare County852Iredell County: 810 USDIredell County810Craven County: 750 USDCraven County750Guilford County: 750 USDGuilford County750Randolph County: 750 USDRandolph County750Cumberland County: 743 USDCumberland County743Haywood County: 726 USDHaywood County726Rowan County: 724 USDRowan County724Onslow County: 721 USDOnslow County721Brunswick County: 720 USDBrunswick County720Pitt County: 704 USDPitt County704Pender County: 692 USDPender County692Moore County: 687 USDMoore County687Alamance County: 682 USDAlamance County682Lee County: 682 USDLee County682Lincoln County: 682 USDLincoln County682Wilson County: 682 USDWilson County682Davie County: 670 USDDavie County670Forsyth County: 670 USDForsyth County670Stokes County: 670 USDStokes County670Yadkin County: 670 USDYadkin County670Clay County: 665 USDClay County665Perquimans County: 660 USDPerquimans County660Watauga County: 660 USDWatauga County660
USD. Source: HUD, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021
USD
Change on 2020
1Buncombe County1,099+5.2%
1Henderson County1,099+5.2%
1Madison County1,099+5.2%
4Franklin County1,053+3%
4Johnston County1,053+3%
4Wake County1,053+3%
7Cabarrus County1,010+8.1%
7Gaston County1,010+8.1%
7Mecklenburg County1,010+8.1%
7Union County1,010+8.1%
11Chatham County974+4.3%
11Durham County974+4.3%
11Orange County974+4.3%
14Currituck County972+1.5%
15Camden County873+0.9%
15New Hanover County873+12.5%
17Dare County852+7.8%
18Iredell County810+5.2%
19Craven County750+4.3%
19Guilford County750+3%
19Randolph County750+3%
22Cumberland County743+2.9%
23Haywood County726-9.9%
24Rowan County724+6.3%
25Onslow County721-0.3%
26Brunswick County720+2.9%
27Pitt County704+13.5%
28Pender County692+8.6%
29Moore County687-3.2%
30Alamance County682+3.5%
30Lee County682+6.1%
30Lincoln County682+3.6%
30Wilson County682+3.8%
34Davie County670+8.6%
34Forsyth County670+8.6%
34Stokes County670+8.6%
34Yadkin County670+8.6%
38Clay County665+7.6%
39Perquimans County660-0.2%
39Watauga County660-2.5%
41Chowan County647+2.2%
42Carteret County642+2.2%
43Hoke County641+1.3%
44Gates County630+7.1%
44Granville County630+1.4%
44Polk County630+10.9%
47Pamlico County628+4.8%
47Wayne County628+1.8%
49Macon County625+5.9%
49Pasquotank County625+4.5%
51Jackson County620+5.8%
52Caswell County608+3.2%
52Richmond County608+3.6%
52Swain County608+3.2%
52Vance County608+3.2%
56Edgecombe County604+5.6%
56Nash County604+5.6%
58Avery County599+5.8%
58Harnett County599+0.5%
60Hyde County597-10%
61McDowell County588+2.8%
61Tyrrell County588+7.7%
63Hertford County583+3%
64Beaufort County582+5.8%
65Person County574+4.6%
65Stanly County574+6.9%
67Halifax County568+1.8%
68Lenoir County567+3.7%
69Davidson County562-2.4%
70Alexander County560-2.3%
70Burke County560-2.3%
70Caldwell County560-2.3%
70Catawba County560-2.3%
74Jones County558+5.7%
75Washington County555+9%
76Columbus County550+3.8%
76Yancey County550+6.4%
78Cherokee County548+6.2%
79Cleveland County545-2.5%
79Surry County545+6%
81Wilkes County543+6.7%
82Martin County541+6.3%
83Graham County540-4.1%
84Anson County537-6.9%
84Montgomery County537+0.8%
84Rockingham County537+4.5%
87Transylvania County536-6%
88Ashe County535+5.1%
89Bertie County533-9.5%
90Duplin County530+4.1%
91Alleghany County526+3.3%
91Bladen County526+3.3%
91Greene County526+3.3%
91Mitchell County526+3.1%
91Northampton County526+3.3%
91Robeson County526+3.1%
91Rutherford County526+3.3%
91Sampson County526+2.7%
91Scotland County526+3.3%
91Warren County526-1.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Monthly gross rent, in US dollars, that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets for a one-bedroom unit in the HUD area that contains the county.

More on how it is measured
  • Gross rent is the rent plus all utilities paid by the tenant except telephone, cable or satellite television and internet.
  • HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the 40th percentile of gross rents paid by recent movers for standard-quality rental units, from American Community Survey data brought forward to the fiscal year; until 2018 a few metropolitan areas were set at the 50th percentile.
  • They set payment standards for Housing Choice Vouchers and rent ceilings in other HUD programs.

A policy benchmark, not a measured rent: it is lower than the median rent by design and differs from the Census Bureau median gross rent. HUD sets one value per HUD area, a metropolitan area (sometimes split into HUD Metro FMR Areas) or a non-metropolitan county, so every county of a metropolitan area shows the same figure. Counties in the six New England states have no value, because HUD defines their areas by town and a county can span several areas. Where HUD splits off part of a county, the county value is the rest of the county: Howard County, Maryland, without Columbia until FY2015, and Crawford County, Missouri, without its part of Sullivan. The year is HUD's federal fiscal year: FY2027 runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. (2021). HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars (Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx

MLA 9

HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars, Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 10 Mar. 2021, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. 2021. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research (2021) HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars, Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_north_carolina_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research}},
  title = {{HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars: Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021}},
  year = {2021},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21\_4050\_FMRs\_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
TI  - HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars: Counties in North Carolina by fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly), 2021
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/03/10
PB  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-one-bedroom/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2021/FY21_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly)?

Buncombe County, with $1,099 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Which county has the lowest fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly)?

Warren County, with $526 in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: one bedroom, monthly gross rent in dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Fair Market Rent, one bedroom (HUD, monthly): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings