Income Limits by County

FY2027 Fair Market Rent · North Carolina

Carteret County Fair Market Rent & Income Limits

HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in Carteret County, NC is $1,277 a month, up 6.6% from FY2026. The area median family income is $103,500, and a family of four counts as low income up to $82,800 a year.

2-bedroom FMR$1,277per month ▲ 6.6%
Median family income$103,500FY2026 ▲ 1.5%
80% limit, 4 people$82,800low income

Fair Market Rent by unit size

FY2027 FY2026

Fair Market Rents are gross rents: rent plus the cost of all utilities except phone, cable and internet.

Check your household

Enter your household size and total yearly income before taxes to see which HUD income category it falls in for Carteret County, NC.

Low income (80% limit)

A household of 4 earning $80,800 is under the 80% limit of $82,800 for this area. At 30% of income it could pay about $2,020 a month for rent and utilities.

This is a quick comparison with HUD's published limits, not an eligibility decision. Programs count income in their own ways and many have waiting lists; the local housing agency or property decides.

Income limits in Carteret County

HUD's FY2026 income limits for Carteret County, NC are based on a median family income of $103,500. Programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing and HOME use the 30%, 50% and 80% columns; Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties use the 50% and 60% Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.

FY2026 income limits by household size (yearly gross income)
PeopleExtremely low30% / povertyVery low50%60% (LIHTC)MTSPLow income80%
1$21,750$36,250$43,500$58,000
2$24,850$41,400$49,680$66,250
3$27,950$46,600$55,920$74,550
4$33,000$51,750$62,100$82,800
5$38,680$55,900$67,080$89,450
6$44,360$60,050$72,060$96,050
7$50,040$64,200$77,040$102,700
8$55,720$68,350$82,020$109,300

Rent history

Since FY2017 the two-bedroom FMR here has gone from $819 to $1,277, up 55.9% over ten years. HUD has published a two-bedroom FMR for this area since FY1983, when it was $279.

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent, 2001 to 2027$0$400$800$1,200$1,600200520102015202020252027$1,277FY2001: $446FY2002: $458FY2003: $471FY2004: $471FY2005: $537FY2006: $553FY2007: $575FY2008: $618FY2009: $634FY2010: $654FY2011: $645FY2012: $681FY2013: $714FY2014: $691FY2015: $819FY2016: $818FY2017: $819FY2018: $857FY2019: $869FY2020: $827FY2021: $846FY2022: $916FY2023: $1,003FY2024: $1,085FY2025: $1,219FY2026: $1,198FY2027: $1,277

What it takes to afford the rent

To keep a two-bedroom rent of $1,277 at no more than 30% of income, the usual affordability rule, a household needs about $51,100 a year. That is 49% of the area median family income of $103,500, so a typical family can afford it with room to spare.

Fair Market Rent by year (monthly gross rent incl. utilities)
UnitFY2027FY2026FY2025Income to affordat 30%
Studio$970$907$923$38,800
1 bedroom$976$913$929$39,000
2 bedrooms$1,277$1,198$1,219$51,100
3 bedrooms$1,607$1,541$1,584$64,300
4 bedrooms$2,132$1,966$2,002$85,300

How Carteret County compares

Carteret County is outside any metropolitan area, so HUD calculates a separate non-metro Fair Market Rent and income limits for the county itself.

Carteret County has the 31st highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of the 100 counties in North Carolina; the population-weighted average across North Carolina is $1,441 and the nationwide average is $1,751.

Guilford County $1,271Randolph County $1,271Rowan County $1,262Wayne County $1,261Haywood County $1,250Craven County $1,246

All 100 counties in North Carolina →

Small Area FMRs by ZIP code

HUD also publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents for each ZIP code. In Carteret County the two-bedroom figure ranges from $1,090 to $1,860 across 17 ZIP codes, against the area-wide $1,277. This area is not on HUD's list of mandatory Small Area FMR areas, so most agencies here use the area-wide FMR; an agency may still opt in to ZIP-level rents.

ZIPPlace2 BR SAFMR110% payment std.
28594Emerald Isle$1,860$2,046
28584Swansboro$1,580$1,738
28557Morehead City$1,350$1,485
28520Cedar Island$1,280$1,408
28524Davis$1,280$1,408
28528Gloucester$1,280$1,408
28553Marshallberg$1,280$1,408
28579Smyrna$1,280$1,408
28581Stacy$1,280$1,408
28589Williston$1,280$1,408
28512Atlantic Beach$1,250$1,375
28575Salter Path$1,250$1,375
28511Atlantic$1,240$1,364
28577Sealevel$1,240$1,364
28531Harkers Island$1,220$1,342
28570Newport$1,170$1,287
28516Beaufort$1,090$1,199

Questions

What is the Fair Market Rent in Carteret County, NC for 2027?

For FY2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027) HUD's Fair Market Rents in Carteret County, NC are $970 for a studio, $976 for one bedroom, $1,277 for two bedrooms, $1,607 for three and $2,132 for four bedrooms, per month including utilities.

What is the area median income in Carteret County, NC?

HUD's FY2026 median family income for the area is $103,500, up 1.5% from $102,000 in FY2025.

What is 80% of AMI in Carteret County, NC for a family of 4?

The FY2026 low-income limit (80%) for a household of four is $82,800 a year. The very low-income limit (50%) is $51,750 and the extremely low-income limit is $33,000.

What is the 60% AMI limit for tax credit housing in Carteret County, NC?

Under HUD's FY2026 Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits, the 60% limit is $43,500 for one person and $62,100 for four.

Is the Fair Market Rent the same as the Section 8 payment standard?

No. Housing agencies set their payment standard between 90% and 110% of the FMR (for a two-bedroom here: $1,149 to $1,405), and can ask HUD for exceptions. Check the payment standard with your local housing agency.