County FMR · HUD FY2026
Moore County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Moore County, NC - 29% above the US average.
- $1,239
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,358
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +20.9%
- YoY change
- +29%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Moore is the 19th most expensive of 100 counties in North Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #629 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 20.9% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #629
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #19
- most expensive of 100 in North Carolina (2BR)
- +26%
- vs the state average
- $49,560
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.3%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (52.7%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Moore County, NC. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Moore County, North Carolina at $1,239 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,358/mo and a studio is $1,157/mo. This is 29% higher than the national average of $959 and 26% above the North Carolina average of $981.
Rent increased20.9% from FY 2025 ($1,025), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $49,560/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 42.6% of the 10,133 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: 100,759. Population grew 7.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than North Carolina's statewide growth of +4.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MOORE·COUNTY·NC·NC
Moore County, NC: $1,239/mo 1BR · #629 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NC
- 1BR-FMR $1,239
- 2BR-FMR $1,358
- RANK-MID #629
- YOY-SURGE +20.9%
- VSUS-HIGH +29%
- VS-ST-HIGH +26% NC
- INC-ROOM 18%
- POP-MID 101K
- PHOTO-NEAR Wake County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,115–$1,363
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Wake ($357 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $986 | $1,157 | +$171 (+17.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,025 | $1,239 | +$214 (+20.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,135 | $1,358 | +$223 (+19.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,590 | $1,889 | +$299 (+18.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,906 | $2,278 | +$372 (+19.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Moore 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 Moore sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,358 Top 20% higher than 80% 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 Moore 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
- Moore
Moore County
$1,239 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
What this shows Moore 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), Moore County (this county) ($1,239), Guilford County ($1,213), Cumberland County ($1,113), Forsyth County ($1,082).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,239/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 | 11.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,190 | 15% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,860 | 18.2% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,490 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $58,030 | 25.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $54,070 | 27.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,580 | 30% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,400 | 30.1% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,390 | 30.1% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,870 | 37.3% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,530 | 37.6% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,630 | 45.6% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,090 | 49.4% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,760 | 51.7% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,230 | 52.7% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Moore County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Moore (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 74.5% overall, from $710 to $1,239. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +20.9% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑20.9% | $1,157 | $1,239 | $1,358 |
| FY 2025 ↑15.7% | $986 | $1,025 | $1,135 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.7% | $863 | $886 | $995 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.6% | $774 | $808 | $913 |
| FY 2022 ↑8.3% | $695 | $744 | $848 |
| FY 2021 ↓3.2% | $643 | $687 | $783 |
| FY 2020 | $666 | $710 | $808 |
Part of the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC Metro Area
Moore County is a central county of the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Moore 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NC).
Nearby Counties in North Carolina
Largest counties by population in North Carolina
Showing the 8 largest of 99 other counties in North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Moore County? ▼
How does Moore County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Moore County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Moore County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Moore County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Moore County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Moore County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Moore County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Moore County? ▼
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.