County FMR · HUD FY2026
Carter County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Carter County, OK - 16% below the US average.
- $803
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,054
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.4%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Carter is the 15th most expensive of 77 counties in Oklahoma by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,447 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,447
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #15
- most expensive of 77 in Oklahoma (2BR)
- +2%
- vs the state average
- $32,120
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (40.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Carter County, OK. Verify with HUD →
Carter County, Oklahoma carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $803 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,054/mo and a studio is $776/mo. That's 16% below the national benchmark of $959 and 2% above the Oklahoma average of $791.
Rent increased1.4% from FY 2025 ($792), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,120/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Oklahoma. Population: 48,202. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Oklahoma's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Carter 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, Carter County's 2-bedroom of $1,054 ranks #1,447 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 16% under the US average of $959 and 2% above Oklahoma's $791. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $792 (FY 2025) to $803 (FY 2026), a +1.4% move that keeps the below-average posture intact.
A 1-bedroom at $803 needs $32,120/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $58,856, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $1,054 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $786 | $776 | $-10 (-1.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $792 | $803 | +$11 (+1.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,039 | $1,054 | +$15 (+1.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,292 | $1,324 | +$32 (+2.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,466 | $1,553 | +$87 (+5.9%) |
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 Carter 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 Carter sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,054 higher than 54% 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 Carter compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Oklahoma counties
- Oklahoma
Oklahoma County
$1,017 1BR FMR / mo
- Cleveland
Cleveland County
$1,017 1BR FMR / mo
- Canadian
Canadian County
$1,017 1BR FMR / mo
- Tulsa
Tulsa County
$987 1BR FMR / mo
- Rogers
Rogers County
$987 1BR FMR / mo
- Carter
Carter County
$803 1BR FMR / mo
- Comanche
Comanche County
$784 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Carter is highlighted. Nearby Oklahoma counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Oklahoma County ($1,017), Cleveland County ($1,017), Canadian County ($1,017), Tulsa County ($987), Rogers County ($987), Carter County (this county) ($803), Comanche County ($784).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $803/mo, most of these Oklahoma occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | OK Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,420 | 9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,160 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,620 | 12% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,820 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $60,050 | 16% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $57,360 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $51,920 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $50,200 | 19.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $47,470 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,200 | 25.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,570 | 25.6% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,590 | 31.5% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,580 | 32.6% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $26,830 | 35.9% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $23,590 | 40.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Carter County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Carter (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 33.6% overall, from $601 to $803. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 8.5% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.4% | $776 | $803 | $1,054 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.9% | $786 | $792 | $1,039 |
| FY 2024 ↑8.1% | $743 | $748 | $983 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.5% | $688 | $692 | $884 |
| FY 2022 ↓1.7% | $634 | $638 | $793 |
| FY 2021 ↑8.0% | $642 | $649 | $781 |
| FY 2020 | $570 | $601 | $717 |
Part of the Ardmore, OK Micro Area
Carter County is a central county of the Ardmore, OK micropolitan statistical area.
Nearby Counties in Oklahoma
Largest counties by population in Oklahoma
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Carter County? ▼
How does Carter County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Carter County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Carter County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Carter County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Carter County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Carter County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Carter County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Carter County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Carter'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 $803 implies about $32,120/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 Carter 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.