County FMR · HUD FY2026
Rutherford County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Rutherford County, NC - 16% below the US average.
- $806
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $925
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -0.1%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Rutherford is the 19th cheapest of 100 counties in North Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #599 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #599
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #19
- cheapest of 100 in North Carolina (2BR)
- -18%
- vs the state average
- $32,240
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.4%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (34.3%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Rutherford County, NC. Verify with HUD →
Rutherford County, North Carolina carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $806 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $925/mo and a studio is $801/mo. That's 16% below the national benchmark of $959 and 18% below the North Carolina average of $981.
Rent decreased0.1% from FY 2025 ($807), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,240/year.
Observed renter burden: 36.9% of the 6,890 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 9.8%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in North Carolina. Population: 64,680. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than North Carolina's statewide growth of +4.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area RUTHERFORD·COUNTY·NC·NC
Rutherford County, NC: $806/mo 1BR · #599 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NC
- 1BR-FMR $806
- 2BR-FMR $925
- RANK-MID #599
- YOY-FLAT -0.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -16%
- VS-ST-LOW -18% NC
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-MID 65K
- PHOTO-NEAR Wake County
- VOUCH-90-110 $725–$887
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Wake ($790 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $803 | $801 | $-2 (-0.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $807 | $806 | $-1 (-0.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $930 | $925 | $-5 (-0.5%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,255 | $1,275 | +$20 (+1.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,442 | $1,332 | $-110 (-7.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Rutherford 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 Rutherford sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$925 higher than 19% 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 Rutherford 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
- Rutherford
Rutherford County
$806 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Rutherford 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), Rutherford County (this county) ($806).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $806/mo, most of these North Carolina occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | NC Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $131,000 | 7.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,190 | 9.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,860 | 11.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,490 | 12% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $58,030 | 16.7% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $54,070 | 17.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,580 | 19.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,400 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,390 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,870 | 24.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,530 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,630 | 29.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,090 | 32.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,760 | 33.6% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,230 | 34.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Rutherford County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Rutherford (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 58.3% overall, from $509 to $806. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.1% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓0.1% | $801 | $806 | $925 |
| FY 2025 ↑9.5% | $803 | $807 | $930 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.1% | $733 | $737 | $856 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.9% | $643 | $646 | $771 |
| FY 2022 ↑7.8% | $563 | $567 | $724 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.3% | $522 | $526 | $693 |
| FY 2020 | $506 | $509 | $671 |
Part of the Forest City, NC Micro Area
Rutherford County is a central county of the Forest City, NC micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Rutherford County is $806 per month. A 2-bedroom is $925 and a studio is $801.
How does Rutherford County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Rutherford County is 16% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $806 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Rutherford County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Rutherford County's 2-bedroom FMR of $925 ranks #599 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Rutherford County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,240 ($2,687/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Rutherford County.
Is rent going up or down in Rutherford County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Rutherford County decreased by 0.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $807 to $806.
Which jobs can afford rent in Rutherford 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 $806/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Rutherford County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Rutherford County went from $509 in FY 2020 to $806 in FY 2026, a total change of +58.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Rutherford County?
In Rutherford County, the FY 2026 FMR of $806/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 Rutherford County?
For Rutherford County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($806/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Rutherford County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 9.8%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Rutherford County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Rutherford's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $806 implies about $32,240/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- North Carolina counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Wake
- See where Rutherford ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.