County FMR · HUD FY2026
Bertie County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Bertie County, NC - 17% below the US average.
- $796
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,044
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -0.7%
- YoY change
- -17%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Bertie is the 48th cheapest of 100 counties in North Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,510 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,510
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #48
- cheapest of 100 in North Carolina (2BR)
- -19%
- vs the state average
- $31,840
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.3%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (33.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Bertie County, NC. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Bertie County, North Carolina is $796 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,044/mo and a studio is $790/mo. This is 17% lower than the national average of $959 and 19% below the North Carolina average of $981.
Rent decreased0.7% from FY 2025 ($802), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,840/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in North Carolina. Population: 17,818. Population declined 11.0% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than North Carolina's statewide growth of +4.2% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Bertie County
HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Bertie County's 2-bedroom of $1,044 ranks #1,510 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the middle half of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 17% under the US average of $959 and 19% below North Carolina's $981. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $802 (FY 2025) to $796 (FY 2026), a -0.7% move that keeps the below-average posture intact.
A 1-bedroom at $796 needs $31,840/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $45,931, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $1,044 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $797 | $790 | $-7 (-0.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $802 | $796 | $-6 (-0.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,052 | $1,044 | $-8 (-0.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,267 | $1,252 | $-15 (-1.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,464 | $1,449 | $-15 (-1.0%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Bertie County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Bertie sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,044 higher than 52% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Bertie compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other North Carolina counties
- Wake
Wake County
$1,596 1BR FMR / mo
- Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg County
$1,538 1BR FMR / mo
- Durham
Durham County
$1,507 1BR FMR / mo
- Guilford
Guilford County
$1,213 1BR FMR / mo
- Cumberland
Cumberland County
$1,113 1BR FMR / mo
- Forsyth
Forsyth County
$1,082 1BR FMR / mo
- Bertie
Bertie County
$796 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Bertie is highlighted. Nearby North Carolina counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Wake County ($1,596), Mecklenburg County ($1,538), Durham County ($1,507), Guilford County ($1,213), Cumberland County ($1,113), Forsyth County ($1,082), Bertie County (this county) ($796).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $796/mo, most of these North Carolina occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | NC Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $131,000 | 7.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,190 | 9.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,860 | 11.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,490 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $58,030 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $54,070 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,400 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,390 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,580 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,870 | 24% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,530 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,630 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,090 | 31.7% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,760 | 33.2% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,230 | 33.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Bertie County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Bertie (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 35.1% overall, from $589 to $796. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 17.4% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓0.7% | $790 | $796 | $1,044 |
| FY 2025 ↑16.6% | $797 | $802 | $1,052 |
| FY 2024 ↑17.4% | $683 | $688 | $904 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.5% | $582 | $586 | $771 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.2% | $547 | $550 | $724 |
| FY 2021 ↓9.5% | $530 | $533 | $693 |
| FY 2020 | $573 | $589 | $671 |
Where Bertie County Ranks in North Carolina
Bertie County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #48 of 100 counties in North Carolina. Nearest by rank: Polk County ($983), Macon County ($987), Hoke County ($998), Perquimans County ($999), Avery County ($1,005), Wilson County ($1,025), Clay County ($1,039), Rockingham County ($1,040), Bertie County (this county) ($1,044), Lincoln County ($1,054), Pamlico County ($1,077), Alexander County ($1,095), Burke County ($1,095), Caldwell County ($1,095), Catawba County ($1,095), Pitt County ($1,095), Lee County ($1,136).
Nearby Counties in North Carolina
Largest counties by population in North Carolina
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Bertie County? ▼
How does Bertie County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Bertie County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Bertie County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Bertie County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Bertie County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Bertie County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Bertie County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Bertie County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Bertie's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $796 implies about $31,840/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Bertie can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.