Maryland Fair Market Rents 2026

HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 24 counties in Maryland. It is the rent estimate your housing authority starts from when it decides how much a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher will cover. The statewide median two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,845 per month, ranging from $973 in Allegany County to $2,246 in Charles County.

What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in Maryland

Housing wage
$39.15/hr
Annual income needed
$81,432
Hours at minimum wage
105/wk

To rent a modest two-bedroom in Maryland without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $39.15 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $15.00, that means working 105 hours a week. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2025.

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FY2026 Fair Market Rents by County

County Studio 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR
Allegany County $694 $823 $973 $1,333 $1,452
Anne Arundel County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Baltimore County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Baltimore city $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Calvert County $1,811 $1,851 $2,083 $2,639 $3,106
Caroline County $995 $1,001 $1,314 $1,642 $2,184
Carroll County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Cecil County $1,397 $1,520 $1,810 $2,170 $2,423
Charles County $1,953 $2,015 $2,246 $2,835 $3,332
Dorchester County $947 $952 $1,144 $1,591 $1,919
Frederick County $1,953 $2,015 $2,246 $2,835 $3,332
Garrett County $848 $864 $973 $1,353 $1,441
Harford County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Howard County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Kent County $1,062 $1,137 $1,246 $1,635 $2,090
Montgomery County $1,953 $2,015 $2,246 $2,835 $3,332
Prince George's County $1,953 $2,015 $2,246 $2,835 $3,332
Queen Anne's County $1,362 $1,511 $1,857 $2,358 $2,611
Somerset County $901 $907 $1,167 $1,586 $1,667
St. Mary's County $1,394 $1,672 $1,833 $2,264 $2,889
Talbot County $1,201 $1,282 $1,409 $1,960 $2,364
Washington County $869 $961 $1,261 $1,700 $1,901
Wicomico County $1,054 $1,061 $1,378 $1,818 $1,825
Worcester County $1,027 $1,035 $1,194 $1,661 $1,919

Find a housing authority in Maryland

Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling, but the housing authority issuing your voucher sets the payment standard and runs the waiting list. Start there.

Maryland Housing Authorities Maryland Waiting Lists

For FY2026, Charles County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Maryland at $2,246 per month, while Allegany County has the lowest at $973. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $1,845.

No. Each housing authority in Maryland sets its own payment standard, anywhere from 90% to 110% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for its area, and some receive HUD approval to go higher. Two authorities serving the same county can pay different amounts, so confirm the figure with the authority that will issue your voucher.

Find your county in the table below to see the FY2026 rent HUD estimates for each bedroom size. That figure is the starting point your housing authority uses to set its payment standard, which caps the subsidy on your unit. You generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income, with the voucher covering the rest up to that cap.

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026 · huduser.gov

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, gender, and disability. The Fair Housing Act ensures that all persons receive equal housing opportunity. For more information about the Fair Housing Act and your rights, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development .