County FMR · HUD FY2026

Dare County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dare County, NC - 36% above the US average.

$1,305
1-bedroom FMR
$1,430
2-bedroom FMR
+2.8%
YoY change
+36%
vs US avg

The verdict

Dare is the 17th most expensive of 100 counties in North Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #535 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#535
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#17
most expensive of 100 in North Carolina (2BR)
+33%
vs the state average
$52,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (55.5%); only 6 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dare County, NC. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Dare County, North Carolina is $1,305 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,430/mo and a studio is $1,120/mo. This is 36% higher than the national average of $959 and 33% above the North Carolina average of $981.

Rent increased2.8% from FY 2025 ($1,269), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $52,200/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 48.2% of the 3,662 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in North Carolina. Population: 37,160. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+5.0%, Census ACS). That's in line with North Carolina's statewide growth of +4.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area DARE·COUNTY·NC·NC

Dare County, NC: $1,305/mo 1BR · #535 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NC
  • 1BR-FMR $1,305
  • 2BR-FMR $1,430
  • RANK-MID #535
  • YOY-UP +2.8%
  • VSUS-HIGH +36%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +33% NC
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-SMALL 37K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Wake County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,175–$1,436
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Wake ($291 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $932 · US avg: $893
$1,120/mo
↑ 2.8% YoY +20% vs state +25% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $981 · US avg: $959
$1,305/mo
↑ 2.8% YoY +33% vs state +36% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,161 · US avg: $1,175
$1,430/mo
↑ 1.3% YoY +23% vs state +22% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,499 · US avg: $1,525
$1,821/mo
↓ 2.8% YoY +21% vs state +19% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,780 · US avg: $1,756
$1,893/mo
↓ 1.5% YoY +6% vs state +8% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,090
$1,120
+$30 (+2.8%)
1 Bedroom $1,269
$1,305
+$36 (+2.8%)
2 Bedroom $1,411
$1,430
+$19 (+1.3%)
3 Bedroom $1,874
$1,821
$-53 (-2.8%)
4 Bedroom $1,922
$1,893
$-29 (-1.5%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Dare County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
16.5%
Affordable
Need $44,800/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
19.3%
Affordable
Need $52,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.1%
Affordable
Need $57,200/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.9%
Affordable
Need $72,840/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28%
Affordable
Need $75,720/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%21.1%
Dare County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $81,214 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View North Carolina rent burden →

Where Dare sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,430 Top 17% higher than 83% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Dare compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other North Carolina counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Dare 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), Dare County (this county) ($1,305), Guilford County ($1,213), Cumberland County ($1,113), Forsyth County ($1,082).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,305/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using North Carolina BLS wages?

Occupation NC Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $131,000 12% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $99,190 15.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $81,860 19.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $80,490 19.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $58,030 27% Affordable
Electricians $54,070 29% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,580 31.6% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $49,400 31.7% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $49,390 31.7% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $39,870 39.3% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,530 39.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $32,630 48% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,090 52% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,760 54.5% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $28,230 55.5% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (North Carolina) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dare County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dare (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 65.2% overall, from $790 to $1,305. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.8% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,305
Dare County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑2.8% $1,120 $1,305 $1,430
FY 2025 ↑11.6% $1,090 $1,269 $1,411
FY 2024 ↑15.8% $1,000 $1,137 $1,280
FY 2023 ↑9.7% $915 $982 $1,151
FY 2022 ↑5.0% $866 $895 $1,054
FY 2021 ↑7.8% $837 $852 $976
FY 2020 $785 $790 $937
Total change (6yr): +65.2%
Annualized: +8.7%/yr
1 BR: $790 → $1,305

Part of the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micro Area

Dare County is a central county of the Kill Devil Hills, NC micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dare County, both outside North Carolina so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside NC (FY2026).

Franklin County
OH · 2 BR $1,430/mo
Delaware County
OH · 2 BR $1,430/mo
Licking County
OH · 2 BR $1,430/mo
Fairfield County
OH · 2 BR $1,430/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NC).

Bartholomew County
IN · 21.1% of income · 2 BR $1,415/mo
Woodruff County
AR · 21.1% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Gloucester County
NJ · 21.1% of income · 2 BR $1,810/mo
Glascock County
GA · 21.1% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in North Carolina

Largest counties by population in North Carolina

Showing the 8 largest of 99 other counties in North Carolina.

Wake County
1 BR: $1,596/mo Pop: 1,132,103
Mecklenburg County
1 BR: $1,538/mo Pop: 1,115,403
Guilford County
1 BR: $1,213/mo Pop: 539,557
Forsyth County
1 BR: $1,082/mo Pop: 383,739
Cumberland County
1 BR: $1,113/mo Pop: 335,207
Durham County
1 BR: $1,507/mo Pop: 325,101
Buncombe County
1 BR: $1,429/mo Pop: 269,449
Union County
1 BR: $1,538/mo Pop: 240,109
View all counties in North Carolina →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Dare County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dare County is $1,305 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,430 and a studio is $1,120.
How does Dare County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Dare County is 36% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,305 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dare County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dare County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,430 ranks #535 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Dare County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $52,200 ($4,350/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dare County.
Is rent going up or down in Dare County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dare County increased by 2.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,269 to $1,305.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dare County? ▼
Based on North Carolina BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,305/mo. 6 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dare County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dare County went from $790 in FY 2020 to $1,305 in FY 2026, a total change of +65.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dare County? ▼
In Dare County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,305/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Dare County? ▼
For Dare County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,305/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.