Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: 2-bedroom payment standards across 29 ZIP codes
HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA range from $950 to $1,640 for a 2-bedroom. The 90th-percentile ZIP code runs 1.33× the 10th — a gap of $316 a month — which ranks 152th widest of the 247 HUD metro areas we compare.
median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the area's 29 ZIP codes. Where a housing authority sets a single metro-wide standard, it could reach $1,199 at 110%.
monthly gap between the 90th- and 10th-percentile ZIP code ($966 to $1,282).
of the area's ZIP codes (8 of 29) sit above $1,199 — 110% of the area median.
Highest-rent ZIP codes in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Every ZIP code, ranked
The payment-standard column is HUD's published 90–110% band for that ZIP code — the range a housing authority may adopt without HUD approval. Your PHA sets the exact figure. The final column compares each ZIP to the area median; ZIP codes marked above 110% exceed 110% of that median — where a housing authority sets a single area-wide standard, those sit above the highest ceiling basic policy reaches.
| # | ZIP code | 2 BR SAFMR ▾ | Payment standard (90–110%) | vs area median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28673 | $1,640 | $1,476–$1,804 | above 110% |
| 2 | 28682 | $1,640 | $1,476–$1,804 | above 110% |
| 3 | 28609 | $1,370 | $1,233–$1,507 | above 110% |
| 4 | 28601 | $1,260 | $1,134–$1,386 | above 110% |
| 5 | 28037 | $1,250 | $1,125–$1,375 | above 110% |
| 6 | 28636 | $1,250 | $1,125–$1,375 | above 110% |
| 7 | 28678 | $1,250 | $1,125–$1,375 | above 110% |
| 8 | 28658 | $1,200 | $1,080–$1,320 | above 110% |
| 9 | 28603 | $1,170 | $1,053–$1,287 | 107% |
| 10 | 28602 | $1,140 | $1,026–$1,254 | 105% |
| 11 | 28610 | $1,140 | $1,026–$1,254 | 105% |
| 12 | 28630 | $1,110 | $999–$1,221 | 102% |
| 13 | 28666 | $1,100 | $990–$1,210 | 101% |
| 14 | 28628 | $1,090 | $981–$1,199 | 100% |
| 15 | 28690 | $1,090 | $981–$1,199 | 100% |
| 16 | 28647 | $1,080 | $972–$1,188 | 99% |
| 17 | 28671 | $1,080 | $972–$1,188 | 99% |
| 18 | 28680 | $1,080 | $972–$1,188 | 99% |
| 19 | 28613 | $1,070 | $963–$1,177 | 98% |
| 20 | 28650 | $1,060 | $954–$1,166 | 97% |
| 21 | 28667 | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | 94% |
| 22 | 28092 | $1,010 | $909–$1,111 | 93% |
| 23 | 28633 | $980 | $882–$1,078 | 90% |
| 24 | 28661 | $980 | $882–$1,078 | 90% |
| 25 | 28681 | $980 | $882–$1,078 | 90% |
| 26 | 28637 | $970 | $873–$1,067 | 89% |
| 27 | 28619 | $950 | $855–$1,045 | 87% |
| 28 | 28638 | $950 | $855–$1,045 | 87% |
| 29 | 28641 | $950 | $855–$1,045 | 87% |
How Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC compares
Its internal spread of 1.33× (p90 ÷ p10) ranks 152 of 247 HUD metro FMR areas, against a median of 1.37× and a national high of 1.77×. On the steadier p75 ÷ p25 measure it is 1.19×. See the full ranking and how it was measured →
A note on what this does not mean: a higher payment standard does not increase the assistance a household receives. It raises the ceiling on the rent a voucher can cover, while the household still pays roughly 30% of adjusted income. Figures are ZIP-weighted, not renter-weighted, and rest on 2019–2023 American Community Survey data trended forward.