County FMR · HUD FY2026

Gates County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Gates County, NC - 58% above the US average.

$1,513
1-bedroom FMR
$1,709
2-bedroom FMR
+40.2%
YoY change
+58%
vs US avg

The verdict

Gates is the 8th most expensive of 100 counties in North Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #314 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 40.2% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#314
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#8
most expensive of 100 in North Carolina (2BR)
+54%
vs the state average
$60,520
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.9%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (64.3%); only 4 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 Gates County, NC. Verify with HUD →

Gates County, North Carolina carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,513 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,709/mo and a studio is $1,489/mo. That's 58% above the national benchmark of $959 and 54% above the North Carolina average of $981.

Rent increased40.2% from FY 2025 ($1,079), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $60,520/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 15.0% of the 747 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: 10,509. Population declined 9.7% 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.

FMR filing desk

Area GATES·COUNTY·NC·NC

Gates County, NC: $1,513/mo 1BR · #314 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NC
  • 1BR-FMR $1,513
  • 2BR-FMR $1,709
  • RANK-UPPER #314
  • YOY-SURGE +40.2%
  • VSUS-HIGH +58%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +54% NC
  • INC-EDGE 29%
  • POP-SMALL 11K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Wake County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,362–$1,664
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Wake ($83 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $932 · US avg: $893
$1,489/mo
↑ 39.3% YoY +60% vs state +67% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $981 · US avg: $959
$1,513/mo
↑ 40.2% YoY +54% vs state +58% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,161 · US avg: $1,175
$1,709/mo
↑ 38.9% YoY +47% vs state +45% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,499 · US avg: $1,525
$2,364/mo
↑ 43.0% YoY +58% vs state +55% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,780 · US avg: $1,756
$2,794/mo
↑ 37.1% YoY +57% vs state +59% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,069
$1,489
+$420 (+39.3%)
1 Bedroom $1,079
$1,513
+$434 (+40.2%)
2 Bedroom $1,230
$1,709
+$479 (+38.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,653
$2,364
+$711 (+43.0%)
4 Bedroom $2,038
$2,794
+$756 (+37.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
29%
Affordable
Need $59,560/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
29.5%
Affordable
Need $60,520/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
33.3%
Burdened
Need $68,360/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
46%
Burdened
Need $94,560/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
54.4%
Severe
Need $111,760/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%33.3%
Gates County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $61,612 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View North Carolina rent burden →

Where Gates sits among every US county

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

$1,709 Top 10% higher than 90% 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%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Gates compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other North Carolina counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Gates is highlighted. Nearby North Carolina counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Wake County ($1,596), Mecklenburg County ($1,538), Gates County (this county) ($1,513), Durham County ($1,507), 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 $1,513/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 13.9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $99,190 18.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $81,860 22.2% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $80,490 22.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $58,030 31.3% Stretched
Electricians $54,070 33.6% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,580 36.6% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $49,400 36.8% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $49,390 36.8% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $39,870 45.5% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,530 45.9% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $32,630 55.6% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $30,090 60.3% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,760 63.1% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $28,230 64.3% 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 Gates County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Gates (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 157.3% overall, from $588 to $1,513. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 40.2% (FY 2026), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$500$1,000$1,500$2,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,513
Gates County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑40.2% $1,489 $1,513 $1,709
FY 2025 ↑18.8% $1,069 $1,079 $1,230
FY 2024 ↑14.6% $905 $908 $1,050
FY 2023 ↑17.0% $779 $792 $923
FY 2022 ↑7.5% $663 $677 $795
FY 2021 ↑7.1% $622 $630 $743
FY 2020 $585 $588 $697
Total change (6yr): +157.3%
Annualized: +17.1%/yr
1 BR: $588 → $1,513

Part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Metro Area

Gates County is a outlying county of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan statistical area, alongside 17 other metro-area counties.

Gates County ranks #1 of 18 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Gates County (this county) ($1,513), Virginia Beach city ($1,512), Chesapeake city ($1,512), Norfolk city ($1,512), Newport News city ($1,512), Hampton city ($1,512), Portsmouth city ($1,512), Suffolk city ($1,512), James City County ($1,512), York County ($1,512), Isle of Wight County ($1,512), Gloucester County ($1,512), Currituck County ($1,512), Williamsburg city ($1,512), Poquoson city ($1,512), Mathews County ($1,512), Camden County ($1,139), Surry County ($920).

Gates County (this county)
1 BR: $1,513/mo
Virginia Beach city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Chesapeake city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Norfolk city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Newport News city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Hampton city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Portsmouth city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Suffolk city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
James City County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
York County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Isle of Wight County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Gloucester County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Show all 18 counties in this metro area
Currituck County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Williamsburg city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Poquoson city
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Mathews County
1 BR: $1,512/mo
Camden County
1 BR: $1,139/mo
Surry County
1 BR: $920/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Gates 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).

Hennepin County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Brevard County
FL · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Ramsey County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Dakota County
MN · 2 BR $1,709/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Palm Beach County
FL · 33.3% of income · 2 BR $2,254/mo
Owyhee County
ID · 33.2% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Stewart County
GA · 33.4% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
New York County
NY · 33.4% of income · 2 BR $2,910/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 Gates County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Gates County is $1,513 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,709 and a studio is $1,489.
How does Gates County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Gates County is 58% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,513 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Gates County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Gates County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,709 ranks #314 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Gates County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $60,520 ($5,043/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Gates County.
Is rent going up or down in Gates County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Gates County increased by 40.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,079 to $1,513.
Which jobs can afford rent in Gates 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 $1,513/mo. 4 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Gates County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Gates County went from $588 in FY 2020 to $1,513 in FY 2026, a total change of +157.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Gates County? ▼
In Gates County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,513/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 Gates County? ▼
For Gates County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,513/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.