Section 8 in Wilmington, NC, NC: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities
Wilmington, NC metro area. FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, the housing authorities that run the program here, and whether landlords can legally refuse a voucher. Every figure comes straight from HUD data.
Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards, the amount a PHA actually pays, are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at each PHA's discretion.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90 to 110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $1,242 | $1,118 to $1,366 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,301 | $1,171 to $1,431 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,426 | $1,283 to $1,569 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,983 | $1,785 to $2,181 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,392 | $2,153 to $2,631 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Wilmington covers up to $1,426 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $1,283 to $1,569.
Voucher demand in this metro
Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means most vouchers issued here are already placed in a unit, so landlords who accept vouchers fill vacancies from a deep, reliable applicant pool.
Housing authorities serving Wilmington
3 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Apply with (or contact) the PHA that covers the specific address.
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the City of Wilmington
Wilmington , NC · NC001 · 2,083 HCV units
9103417700 - Status unknown
Brunswick County Public Housing Agency
Bolivia , NC · NC147 · 489 HCV units
9102532222 - Status unknown
Pender County Housing Department
Burgaw , NC · NC173 · 221 HCV units
9102591370
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Wilmington, NC?
In most of the state, yes. North Carolina has no statewide source-of-income protection, so landlords in Wilmington, NC can decline Section 8 applications unless a local ordinance says otherwise.
No statewide SOI protection in North Carolina. Landlords can refuse vouchers.
Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change, so verify current status before acting on a rejection or making a leasing decision.
Counties in the Wilmington metro
County pages show the local voucher count, the housing authorities that serve it, and ZIP-level rent limits where HUD publishes them.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in Wilmington?
- In the Wilmington, NC metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,426 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $1,283 to $1,569 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
- What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Wilmington?
- HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Wilmington, NC metro, by bedroom size: studio $1,242, 1-bedroom $1,301, 2-bedroom $1,426, 3-bedroom $1,983, 4-bedroom $2,392. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
- How do I apply for Section 8 in Wilmington?
- Section 8 in Wilmington is administered by Housing Authority of the City of Wilmington, Brunswick County Public Housing Agency, Pender County Housing Department. Apply through the authority whose jurisdiction covers the address, as each runs its own waitlist. Once you have a voucher, search voucher-friendly units and apply on VoucherMatch.
Find Section 8 apartments in Wilmington
VoucherMatch connects voucher holders with landlords who accept Section 8, and it is free for renters. Landlords: listings here reach applicants whose voucher already covers the rent above.
Other Section 8 markets in NC
Rent limits from HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent data. Investor running the numbers? The RentalCalcs voucher analyzer uses this same dataset.