HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Cumberland County, Maine (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Cumberland County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $2,286 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Cumberland keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,286
+9.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$2,057–$2,515
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$91,440
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
1st of 16
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,624 | $1,462–$1,786 | $64,960 | $31.23/hr | +13.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,815 | $1,634–$1,997 | $72,600 | $34.90/hr | +12.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,286 | $2,057–$2,515 | $91,440 | $43.96/hr | +9.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,824 | $2,542–$3,106 | $112,960 | $54.31/hr | +10.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,117 | $2,805–$3,429 | $124,680 | $59.94/hr | +9.2% |
Five to eight bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $3,585 | $3,227–$3,944 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,052 | $3,647–$4,457 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,520 | $4,068–$4,972 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,987 | $4,488–$5,486 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. The 28 towns in Cumberland County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,941 to $2,353 depending on the town, so the headline figure above is a population-weighted average and the town table is the one to use.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland cityHighest | 68,854 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| South Portland city | 26,930 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Scarborough town | 23,215 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Brunswick townLowest | 22,336 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Westbrook city | 20,775 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Windham town | 19,188 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Gorham town | 18,300 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Falmouth town | 12,755 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Standish town | 10,662 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Cape Elizabeth town | 9,606 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Yarmouth town | 9,053 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Freeport town | 8,802 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Cumberland town | 8,647 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Gray town | 8,429 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| New Gloucester town | 5,766 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Bridgton town | 5,642 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Harpswell town | 5,046 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Raymond town | 4,610 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| North Yarmouth town | 4,240 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Naples town | 3,985 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Casco town | 3,696 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Harrison town | 2,513 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Sebago town | 2,073 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Pownal town | 1,696 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Baldwin town | 1,170 | $1,545 | $1,561 | $1,941 | $2,425 | $3,244 |
| Chebeague Island town | 555 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Long Island town | 249 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
| Frye Island town | 34 | $1,639 | $1,864 | $2,353 | $2,902 | $3,092 |
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cumberland actually rent for?
Search any address in Cumberland for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Cumberland somewhere between $2,057 and $2,515. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$2,286 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $91,440 a year. Put another way, $44 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$2,057 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,286 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,515 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,307 | $1,536 | $1,765 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $857 | $1,086 | $1,315 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2026 ($2,082) to FY 2027 ($2,286). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 6.8% a year. The Maine median moved down 4% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,023 | $1,109 | $1,439 | $1,888 | $2,249 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,053 | $1,180 | $1,529 | $1,987 | $2,373 | +6.3% |
| FY 2022 | $1,104 | $1,271 | $1,648 | $2,112 | $2,531 | +7.8% |
| FY 2023 | $1,204 | $1,395 | $1,797 | $2,265 | $2,614 | +9.0% |
| FY 2024 | $1,272 | $1,455 | $1,877 | $2,334 | $2,662 | +4.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,350 | $1,525 | $1,968 | $2,420 | $2,747 | +4.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,436 | $1,616 | $2,082 | $2,557 | $2,855 | +5.8% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,624 | $1,815 | $2,286 | $2,824 | $3,117 | +9.8% |
About this rate
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Cumberland, that runs from $1,624 for a studio up to $3,117 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Cumberland is its own HUD metro area (Portland, ME), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Cumberland ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 67% above the state median of $1,371 and about 115% above the national median county at $1,063. About 308,827 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,650 in 04040 (Harrison) and $3,440 in 04050 (Long Island), with the 48 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04003 | Bailey Island | $2,110 | -7.7% |
| 04009 | Bridgton | $1,690 | -26.1% |
| 04011 | Brunswick | $2,020 | -11.6% |
| 04013 | Bustins Island | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04015 | Casco | $1,920 | -16.0% |
| 04017 | Chebeague Island | $3,140 | +37.4% |
| 04019 | Cliff Island | $3,250 | +42.2% |
| 04021 | Cumberland Center | $2,990 | +30.8% |
| 04024 | East Baldwin | $2,100 | -8.1% |
| 04029 | Sebago | $1,980 | -13.4% |
| 04032 | Freeport | $2,270 | -0.7% |
| 04033 | Freeport | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04034 | Freeport | $2,286County rate | — |
| 04038 | Gorham | $2,210 | -3.3% |
| 04039 | Gray | $2,100 | -8.1% |
| 04040 | Harrison | $1,650 | -27.8% |
| 04050 | Long Island | $3,440 | +50.5% |
| 04055 | Naples | $2,560 | +12.0% |
| 04057 | North Bridgton | $1,690 | -26.1% |
| 04062 | Windham | $1,960 | -14.3% |
| 04066 | Orrs Island | $1,890 | -17.3% |
| 04069 | Pownal | $2,230 | -2.4% |
| 04070 | Scarborough | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04071 | Raymond | $2,060 | -9.9% |
| 04074 | Scarborough | $2,660 | +16.4% |
| 04077 | South Casco | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04078 | South Freeport | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04079 | Harpswell | $1,930 | -15.6% |
| 04082 | South Windham | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04084 | Standish | $2,160 | -5.5% |
| 04085 | Steep Falls | $2,400 | +5.0% |
| 04091 | West Baldwin | $1,700 | -25.6% |
| 04092 | Westbrook | $2,190 | -4.2% |
| 04096 | Yarmouth | $2,510 | +9.8% |
| 04097 | North Yarmouth | $2,400 | +5.0% |
| 04098 | Westbrook | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04101 | Portland | $2,420 | +5.9% |
| 04102 | Portland | $2,340 | +2.4% |
| 04103 | Portland | $2,380 | +4.1% |
| 04104 | Portland | $2,340 | +2.4% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Cumberland.
Sagadahoc County
25 mi · 37,285 people
$1,659
-27%
Androscoggin County
27 mi · 113,423 people
$1,677
-27%
York County
29 mi · 216,731 people
$1,989
-13%
Lincoln County
40 mi · 36,099 people
$1,307
-43%
Oxford County
41 mi · 59,255 people
$1,224
-46%
Kennebec County
49 mi · 126,808 people
$1,374
-40%
Knox County
63 mi · 41,003 people
$1,503
-34%
Franklin County
68 mi · 30,413 people
$1,264
-45%
Questions people ask
$2,286 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,624 for a studio, $1,815 for one bedroom, $2,824 for three and $3,117 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
Payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords
Rent affordability calculator
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Cumberland actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cumberland for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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