Massachusetts Fair Market Rents 2026

HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 14 counties in Massachusetts. 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 $2,207 per month, ranging from $1,527 in Bristol County to $3,138 in Nantucket County.

What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in Massachusetts

Housing wage
$45.90/hr
Annual income needed
$95,472
Hours at minimum wage
123/wk

To rent a modest two-bedroom in Massachusetts without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $45.90 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $15.00, that means working 123 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
Barnstable County $1,834 $1,846 $2,422 $2,985 $3,428
Berkshire County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,245 $1,269 $1,626 $2,109 $2,577
Bristol County (from — 4 rent areas) $1,203 $1,230 $1,527 $1,831 $2,289
Dukes County $1,623 $1,633 $2,143 $2,980 $3,164
Essex County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,565 $1,730 $2,270 $2,722 $3,006
Franklin County $1,287 $1,422 $1,866 $2,237 $2,471
Hampden County $1,219 $1,382 $1,734 $2,127 $2,296
Hampshire County $1,382 $1,580 $2,004 $2,504 $2,702
Middlesex County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,621 $1,792 $2,351 $2,819 $3,113
Nantucket County $2,409 $2,425 $3,138 $4,143 $5,260
Norfolk County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,631 $1,761 $2,311 $2,889 $3,060
Plymouth County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,631 $1,761 $2,311 $2,889 $3,060
Suffolk County $2,359 $2,476 $2,941 $3,526 $3,894
Worcester County (from — 4 rent areas) $1,096 $1,200 $1,532 $2,131 $2,570

Find a housing authority in Massachusetts

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

Massachusetts Housing Authorities Massachusetts Waiting Lists

For FY2026, Nantucket County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Massachusetts at $3,138 per month, while Bristol County has the lowest at $1,527. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $2,207.

No. Each housing authority in Massachusetts 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 .