28244 Charlotte, NC Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 28244 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 28244 (Charlotte, NC) is covered by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,630 for a 1-bedroom, studio $1,560, 2-bedroom $1,790, 3-bedroom $2,200, and 4-bedroom $2,800. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Mecklenburg can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 70% above the US average of $959, and 66% above the NC state average of $981.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,630, that implies a household income of $65,200 per year (about $5,433/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,790 lifts that threshold higher still. The ratio of FMR to local wages is the simplest test of whether a renter can live here without being cost-burdened.