Rents are 8% below what Fayetteville's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,362 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Fayetteville usually run 0.6% below trend in December and 0.5% above it in June, about $15 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Fayetteville is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Fayetteville changed +2.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 North Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Fayetteville rose 57.9% while median household income rose 29.7% ($45,024 to $58,407). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Fayetteville is 61.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($58,407) is $1,460 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,234); a 3-bedroom is $1,673.
The priciest of 8 ZIP codes in Fayetteville, 28306 ($1,746/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 28312 ($955/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Fayetteville. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Is your rent fair?
Compare your rent to the local median.
Who lives here
Fayetteville, NC is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 29% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Fayetteville, NC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Fayetteville, NC has shifted from $989 to $1,362, up 37.7% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $48,923 to $58,407 between 2021 and 2024, a 19.4% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Fayetteville, NC adding about 2,318 residents over the five-year window, up 1.1% on net. The renter share has eased from 55.5% to 52.6%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Taken together, the five-year picture in Fayetteville, NC reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
Discussions about Fayetteville
No discussions yet. Start the conversation.
Can you afford rent in Fayetteville on your salary?
At $1,362/mo, how Fayetteville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Fayetteville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Fayetteville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Fayetteville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Fayetteville is $1,362/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,069/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,234/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,076/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,673/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($58,407/yr), Fayetteville ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Fayetteville?
Is rent going up or down in Fayetteville?
When is the cheapest time to rent in Fayetteville?
Has rent outpaced income in Fayetteville?
Which Fayetteville neighborhoods have the lowest rent?
How does Fayetteville rent compare to other cities in North Carolina?
At $1,362/mo, rent takes ~28% of Fayetteville's median household income ($58,407/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
Pick another city or ZIP to compare.
Estimated from ZIP-level data
Be the first to submit your rent for Fayetteville.
No discussions yet.