Mecklenburg County, NC

Within the selected Mecklenburg County ZIP/ZCTA evidence set, Zillow’s June 2026 ZORI—a typical observed asking-rent index—runs from $1,337 in 28212 to $2,030 in 28277, a $693 spread in the selected set. That breadth makes the decision question unit-specific: can currently offered homes with the needed size, location and lease terms fit the household budget, rather than can a ZIP be assigned a canonical rent? The index direction also differs across the shown set, from a 2.25% year-over-year decrease to a 1.97% increase. Those changes describe past ZORI movement and neither forecast a renewal nor quote a particular available property.

Keep Zillow, ACS and HUD in separate lanes. In 28205, the Zillow index is $1,780, while the ACS 2024 five-year estimate of median gross rent is $1,460; ACS is a survey estimate of reported gross rent and not a contemporaneous asking-rent reading. Its HUD two-bedroom FMR is $1,620, an administrative standard for that bedroom size rather than a market listing measure. The ordering can differ in 28273: ZORI is $1,629, ACS median gross rent is $1,729, and HUD FMR is $2,130. Across the selection, ZORI equals 76.5% to 116.5% of the HUD standard, a comparison screen that cannot establish program eligibility, lease pricing or availability.

Budget pressure and vacancy should be read as ACS survey indicators, not as proof of what can be rented now. The reported share of renters spending at least 30% of income on rent ranges from 40.2% to 61.0% in the displayed areas. That wide burden range can coexist with different income, household and rent compositions, so it is not a pass/fail affordability test for an applicant. Estimated vacancy ranges from 4.6% to 10.9%. A higher estimate may indicate more vacant units at the survey reference, but does not demonstrate lower asking rent, a suitable bedroom count, lease concessions or immediate supply. Screen budget and housing needs against active listings before using either measure.

Coverage and geography limit the comparison. The 12 shown ZIP/ZCTA matches come from 29 eligible matches and contain 130,865 renter households in the packet’s ACS estimates, so they are a selected direct-evidence set rather than a countywide or neighborhood inventory. HUD’s residential-address crosswalk assigns each display ZIP to Mecklenburg County by its largest county share; the smallest shown share is 95.7%, so some address connection beyond the county can remain. ZCTAs are Census statistical areas, not USPS delivery ZIPs. For any property, verify the live asking rent, exact bedroom count, unit address, utilities and fees, security deposit, lease term, availability date, condition, and any applicable HUD-program rules before deciding.