How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Raleigh? (FY2027 Payment Standards by ZIP)
Raleigh is one of the metros where HUD makes housing authorities set Section 8 rent ceilings ZIP code by ZIP code, so the number you are looking for depends on where the apartment is. For FY2027, the 2-bedroom Small Area Fair Market Rent runs from $1,220 in ZIP 27592 to $1,990 in ZIP 27539 across the 26 ZIP codes in Wake County, a gap of roughly half again.
Below: the full spread by bedroom size, what your share of the rent actually is, who runs the program in Raleigh, and what landlords here should know.
The FY2027 Numbers: Low ZIP vs. High ZIP
The lowest and highest 2-bedroom ZIPs in Wake County, with every bedroom size:
| Bedrooms | ZIP 27592 | ZIP 27539 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,060 | $1,750 |
| 1 BR | $1,080 | $1,830 |
| 2 BR | $1,220 | $1,990 |
| 3 BR | $1,500 | $2,480 |
| 4 BR | $1,980 | $3,330 |
Split the 26 ZIP codes in Wake County down the middle and the median 2-bedroom figure is $1,730, at ZIP 27609. For reference, HUD's metro-wide FMR for the Raleigh-Cary, NC area is $1,689 for a 2-bedroom, which is roughly what every ZIP would get if the metro weren't a Small Area FMR area.
Treat these as the starting point, not the final word. A payment standard is set by each housing authority, usually somewhere between 90% and 110% of HUD's figure, and it can differ by authority inside the same metro. Check the number for your ZIP and bedroom size with the PHA that issued your voucher. Our Raleigh Section 8 guide list the ZIP-level data, and HUD's SAFMR dataset is the primary source.
Beyond Wake County: The Whole Metro
The Raleigh-Cary, NC area takes in 71 ZIP codes in the FY2027 data, and the range widens once you leave Wake County: the 2-bedroom figure runs from $1,220 in ZIP 27501 to $1,990 in ZIP 27539 (Wake County), with a metro-wide median of $1,730.
To see the full ladder rather than just the two ends, here are five ZIPs spread evenly across the 71 in the metro:
| ZIP | County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27504 | Johnston County | $1,090 | $1,220 | $1,500 |
| 27593 | Johnston County | $1,160 | $1,260 | $1,570 |
| 27695 | Wake County | $1,590 | $1,730 | $2,150 |
| 27661 | , | $1,600 | $1,740 | $2,170 |
| 27539 | Wake County | $1,830 | $1,990 | $2,480 |
FY2026 to FY2027: The Change Effective October 1, 2026
HUD's metro-wide 2-bedroom FMR for Raleigh went down 3.5% from FY2026 to FY2027: $1,750 to $1,689. Across the 86 ZIP codes HUD published in both years, the 2-bedroom figure rose in 4 and fell in 82. The steepest cut was ZIP 27501, $1,350 to $1,220; the biggest increase was ZIP 27703, $1,750 to $1,830. If you already rent with a voucher and stay put, you are protected for at least two years: the housing authority may keep your current payment standard, and it cannot reduce it sooner than two years after the decrease takes effect, or without written notice (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)). If you are shopping now, the ceiling for a new lease is lower than the number a landlord may remember from last year.
What You Actually Pay as a Tenant
The formula is the same everywhere in the country: you pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income, and the housing assistance payment fills the gap up to the standard for your ZIP and unit size. A household bringing in $2,400 a month pays about $720; at the median 2-bedroom figure for Wake County of $1,730, the authority covers up to $1,010.
The ZIP-based system exists to let voucher holders reach higher-cost neighborhoods: a voucher that only stretches to $1,220 in one ZIP is worth $1,990 in another, and your own payment doesn't move with it. If a landlord asks for more than the standard, you can sometimes pay the difference yourself, but the authority caps your total share at 40% of income at move-in.
Raleigh Landlords: What the Standard Means for You
A voucher tenancy in Raleigh means the authority pays its share directly every month, the unit passes an inspection up front, and turnover is typically lower than market-rate. Where the ZIP-level standard is close to market rent, that stability is the whole pitch; where the standard runs below market, you can still list and let the PHA's rent reasonableness review decide.
North Carolina has no statewide source-of-income law, so a private landlord can legally decline a voucher here unless a local ordinance says otherwise. What a landlord cannot do is refuse on the basis of race, disability, familial status, or another federally protected trait.
Own rentals in the Raleigh metro area? List them free on VoucherMatch; tenants here search by ZIP code and voucher type.
Who Administers Section 8 in Raleigh
Which authority runs your voucher determines your paperwork, your inspections, and the exact payment standard applied. The largest programs in the Raleigh metro area:
- Housing Authority of the City of Raleigh, (919) 831-8300, about 4,300 vouchers
- North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, (984) 236-0160, about 1,000 vouchers
- Johnston County Housing Assistance Payments Program, (919) 989-5070, about 630 vouchers
- Housing Authority of the County of Wake, (919) 269-6404, about 600 vouchers
- Nash-Edgecombe Economic Development, Inc., (252) 442-8081, about 590 vouchers
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 2-bedroom Section 8 voucher worth in Raleigh in FY2027? It depends on the ZIP code: HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMRs for 2-bedrooms range from $1,220 (27592) to $1,990 (27539) across the 26 ZIPs in Wake County, with a median around $1,730. Your PHA's payment standard is set from these figures.
Why does my voucher cover more in some neighborhoods than others? The Raleigh metro area is a mandatory Small Area FMR metro, so HUD publishes a separate FMR for every ZIP code instead of one metro-wide number. The ceiling moves with local rents.
Can a Raleigh landlord refuse my voucher? Under state law, yes: North Carolina has no statewide source-of-income protection, so a private landlord can decline a voucher unless a local ordinance forbids it. Refusal based on race, disability, familial status, or another federally protected trait is still illegal.
Do these numbers include utilities? The standards assume rent plus a utility allowance fit within the ceiling. If you pay utilities yourself, the approvable rent drops by the allowance for your unit size. The mechanics are the same ones we cover in our utility allowance guide, with Raleigh's own allowance schedules.
Where can I see the number for my exact ZIP? Our Raleigh Section 8 guide list payment data ZIP by ZIP, or check HUD's SAFMR lookup and confirm with your housing authority.
Comparing metros? We have the same breakdown for Charlotte, and a North Carolina Section 8 overview.
Searching in Raleigh with a voucher? Browse voucher-friendly listings from landlords who want your business.
Raleigh landlord? List your property free. In much of the metro, the voucher pays at or close to market.
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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