State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

North Carolina: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each North Carolina county, FY 2026.

23%
State avg 2BR burden
4
Counties over 30% (of 100)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about North Carolina

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in North Carolina. Across the 100 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 23%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning North Carolina sits 1.3 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In North Carolina, 4 of 100 counties (4%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Gates County at 33.3%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,709 eats that share of the local median income of $61,612. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which North Carolina counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between North Carolina and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
23%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
4
of 100
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Gates County $1,513 $1,709 29.5% 33.3%
2 Madison County $1,429 $1,567 29.2% 32.1%
3 Anson County $867 $1,138 23.5% 30.9%
4 Gaston County $1,538 $1,686 28.2% 30.9%
5 Franklin County $1,596 $1,750 26.8% 29.4%
6 Edgecombe County $918 $1,143 22.7% 28.3%
7 Henderson County $1,429 $1,567 25.4% 27.8%
8 Robeson County $748 $925 22.3% 27.5%
9 Watauga County $988 $1,177 23.1% 27.5%
10 Bertie County $796 $1,044 20.8% 27.3%
11 New Hanover County $1,513 $1,659 24.9% 27.3%
12 Randolph County $1,213 $1,330 24.7% 27%
13 Buncombe County $1,429 $1,567 24.3% 26.6%
14 Washington County $744 $925 21.4% 26.6%
15 Alleghany County $745 $978 20.2% 26.5%
16 Johnston County $1,596 $1,750 24% 26.3%
17 Durham County $1,507 $1,711 22.7% 25.8%
18 Chowan County $930 $1,220 19.6% 25.7%
19 Wayne County $948 $1,244 19.6% 25.7%
20 Cumberland County $1,113 $1,251 22.7% 25.5%
21 Scotland County $755 $925 20.8% 25.5%
22 Richmond County $814 $925 22.4% 25.4%
23 Tyrrell County $744 $925 20.3% 25.3%
24 Alamance County $1,230 $1,348 22.9% 25.1%
25 Bladen County $705 $925 19% 24.9%
26 Vance County $743 $975 19% 24.9%
27 Lenoir County $732 $925 19.6% 24.8%
28 Halifax County $742 $925 19.8% 24.6%
29 Stokes County $1,082 $1,232 21.6% 24.6%
30 Warren County $705 $925 18.7% 24.5%
31 Yadkin County $1,082 $1,232 21.5% 24.5%
32 Northampton County $741 $972 18.6% 24.3%
33 Guilford County $1,213 $1,330 22% 24.2%
34 Haywood County $1,122 $1,230 22.1% 24.2%
35 Mecklenburg County $1,538 $1,686 22% 24.2%
36 Wilson County $794 $1,025 18.5% 23.9%
37 Hyde County $756 $940 19.2% 23.8%
38 Caldwell County $908 $1,095 19.7% 23.7%
39 Martin County $705 $925 18.1% 23.7%
40 Burke County $908 $1,095 19.6% 23.6%
41 Cabarrus County $1,538 $1,686 21.4% 23.5%
42 Hertford County $705 $925 17.8% 23.4%
43 Chatham County $1,507 $1,711 20.4% 23.2%
44 Clay County $948 $1,039 21.2% 23.2%
45 Orange County $1,507 $1,711 20.4% 23.2%
46 Brunswick County $1,301 $1,426 21.1% 23.1%
47 Columbus County $722 $925 18% 23%
48 Pasquotank County $927 $1,216 17.4% 22.8%
49 Duplin County $747 $980 17.3% 22.7%
50 Rowan County $958 $1,196 18.2% 22.7%
51 Forsyth County $1,082 $1,232 19.8% 22.6%
52 Graham County $844 $925 20.7% 22.6%
53 Nash County $918 $1,143 18.1% 22.6%
54 Currituck County $1,512 $1,713 19.8% 22.5%
55 Rockingham County $793 $1,040 17.1% 22.4%
56 Pitt County $896 $1,095 18.3% 22.3%
57 Rutherford County $806 $925 19.4% 22.3%
58 Macon County $830 $987 18.7% 22.2%
59 Craven County $902 $1,184 16.7% 22%
60 Wilkes County $793 $925 18.9% 22%
61 Ashe County $705 $925 16.6% 21.8%
62 Cherokee County $713 $935 16.6% 21.8%
63 Greene County $823 $925 19.4% 21.8%
64 Onslow County $935 $1,173 17.4% 21.8%
65 Jackson County $879 $964 19.7% 21.6%
66 Lee County $880 $1,136 16.7% 21.6%
67 Transylvania County $887 $1,164 16.5% 21.6%
68 Dare County $1,305 $1,430 19.3% 21.1%
69 Pamlico County $866 $1,077 16.9% 21%
70 Avery County $766 $1,005 15.9% 20.9%
71 Sampson County $806 $925 18.2% 20.9%
72 Wake County $1,596 $1,750 18.8% 20.6%
73 Carteret County $913 $1,198 15.6% 20.5%
74 Catawba County $908 $1,095 16.9% 20.4%
75 Iredell County $1,222 $1,340 18.6% 20.4%
76 Union County $1,538 $1,686 18.6% 20.4%
77 Yancey County $713 $935 15.6% 20.4%
78 Granville County $1,084 $1,200 18.3% 20.3%
79 Davie County $1,082 $1,232 17.7% 20.2%
80 Alexander County $908 $1,095 16.7% 20.1%
81 McDowell County $790 $925 17.1% 20%
82 Swain County $813 $925 17.6% 20%
83 Cleveland County $763 $925 16.4% 19.9%
84 Hoke County $761 $998 15.2% 19.9%
85 Jones County $752 $925 16.2% 19.9%
86 Montgomery County $794 $925 17.1% 19.9%
87 Surry County $705 $925 15.1% 19.8%
88 Moore County $1,239 $1,358 17.9% 19.7%
89 Perquimans County $804 $999 15.8% 19.6%
90 Polk County $829 $983 16.3% 19.3%
91 Beaufort County $737 $925 15.2% 19.1%
92 Mitchell County $705 $925 14.6% 19.1%
93 Caswell County $748 $925 15.1% 18.7%
94 Davidson County $876 $960 16.8% 18.5%
95 Pender County $1,064 $1,166 16.6% 18.2%
96 Stanly County $705 $925 13.7% 18%
97 Camden County $1,139 $1,287 15.6% 17.6%
98 Person County $744 $948 13.8% 17.5%
99 Harnett County $810 $980 14.1% 17%
100 Lincoln County $953 $1,054 14.6% 16.1%
National burden rankings → All North Carolina rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in North Carolina? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in North Carolina is 23% of household income. 4 of 100 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in North Carolina are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Gates County at 33.3% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average? ▼
North Carolina's average rent burden is 23% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 1.3 percentage points higher than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.