Voucher-vs-Market Gap: Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
Open-data reference.
In Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area, the HUD 2-BR FMR ($1,129) compared to the Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent ($1,340) produces a -15.8% gap. Vouchers fall short of market rent here, voucher holders often pay out of pocket or seek cheaper units.
- 99th percentile by gap severity (of 359 metros)
- HUD FMR × Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent
- Classification: short
What the Voucher-vs-Market Gap in Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area Tells You
In Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area (CBSA 47260), the HUD FY2025 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,129/month is joined with the Census ACS median 2-bedroom gross rent market median of $1,340/month. The derived gap is -15.8%, which PlainVoucher classifies as "short". Negative percentages mean the HUD voucher reference falls short of the median 2-BR rent; positive percentages mean the voucher overshoots the open market with room to spare.
Ranked against 359 metros we track, Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area sits at the 99th percentile by gap severity, meaning 99% of metros show an equal or smaller gap. A gap of this magnitude typically means voucher holders will struggle to find units at the published payment standard and may need to negotiate below-market rents, lean on Small Area FMRs in higher-rent ZIPs, or pursue voucher portability to a metro with stronger coverage. Landlords, on their side, may be less willing to accept voucher-standard rents when asking rents for available units consistently clear higher.
The gap metric is a PlainVoucher-derived figure, not a HUD-published statistic: we compute it as (HUD 2-BR FMR − Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent) ÷ Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent × 100, refreshed whenever either upstream dataset changes. Because the Census ACS median gross rent reflects rents paid by all current tenants (not asking rents for newly available units, which typically run higher), treat the gap as a directional signal, not a dollar-perfect forecast. Use it to compare Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area against peer metros in our gap directory, to flag portability candidates via the portability guide, or as a negotiation anchor with landlords at lease-up.
The numbers
- HUD 2-BR FMR (FY2025): $1,129/mo
- Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent: $1,340/mo
- Gap: -15.8%
- Classification: short
What this means
A positive gap means the HUD FMR reference falls short of the median 2-BR rent. Voucher holders searching in Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area will often find that units at the local PHA's payment standard are hard to come by, and that they will either have to pay the difference out of pocket (up to the 40%-of-income cap at initial lease-up) or find units below the median. Options to consider: ask the PHA whether Small Area FMRs apply (they often raise the payment standard in higher-rent ZIPs), whether exception payment standards are available, or whether voucher portability to a neighboring metro with a smaller gap might help.
How we compute this
Every month, the Census ACS median gross rent is joined with HUD's latest published Fair Market Rent for the metro. The formula:
gap % = (HUD 2-BR FMR − Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent) / Census ACS 2-BR median gross rent × 100
Positive gap = voucher falls short. Negative gap = voucher covers market. See methodology for the full cross-dataset join.
Related
- Full payment standards for Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- Payment Standards vs. FMR (guide)
- Voucher Portability, moving to a metro with better coverage
Nearby metro gaps
Compare the voucher-vs-market gap in metros near Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area:
- Anson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area · CBSA 16740
- Asheville, NC MSA · CBSA 11700
- Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area · CBSA 48900
- Burlington, NC MSA · CBSA 15500
- Craven County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area · CBSA 35100
Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2025, Census ACS median gross rent. Computed at build time from public data. Gap percent is a derived metric unique to PlainVoucher, not a HUD-published figure. See our methodology for the full calculation.
⚠ Disclaimer. Median gross rent reflects rents paid by current tenants; asking rents for available units typically run higher, so a voucher holder searching today may face a tighter market than the median implies. Actual PHA payment standards can differ from HUD FMR by ±10%. Always confirm the current payment standard and market conditions with your PHA and a local housing counselor. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or any PHA.