HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hancock County, Maine (FY 2026)
$1,501 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hancock County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hancock is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,501
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,351 to $1,651
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$60,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
7th of 16
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hancock moves to $1,484. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hancock actually rent for?
Search any address in Hancock for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,227 | $1,104 to $1,350 | $49,080 | $23.60/hr | +21.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,234 | $1,111 to $1,357 | $49,360 | $23.73/hr | +21.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,501 | $1,351 to $1,651 | $60,040 | $28.87/hr | +24.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,047 | $1,842 to $2,252 | $81,880 | $39.37/hr | +28.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,055 | $1,850 to $2,261 | $82,200 | $39.52/hr | +28.9% |
5 to 8 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 | $2,363 | $2,127 to $2,599 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,672 | $2,405 to $2,939 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,980 | $2,682 to $3,278 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,288 | $2,959 to $3,617 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Hancock, that runs from $1,227 for a studio up to $2,055 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Hancock sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Castine included.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Hancock ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,429 and about 47% above the national median county at $1,018. About 56,084 people live here, 8th in the state.
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 41 towns in Hancock County share the same rate for FY 2026, so the county number is the town number wherever you are.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth city | 8,550 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Bar Harbor town | 5,198 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Bucksport town | 4,982 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Blue Hill town | 2,811 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Hancock town | 2,506 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Deer Isle town | 2,274 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Orland town | 1,902 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Lamoine town | 1,838 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Surry town | 1,834 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Gouldsboro town | 1,753 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Mount Desert town | 1,719 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Trenton town | 1,703 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Dedham town | 1,667 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Southwest Harbor town | 1,544 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Franklin town | 1,514 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Tremont town | 1,440 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Sedgwick town | 1,283 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Sullivan town | 1,240 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Castine town | 1,222 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Penobscot town | 1,127 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Stonington town | 906 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Otis town | 845 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Brooksville town | 843 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Brooklin town | 817 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Eastbrook town | 700 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Mariaville town | 688 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Verona Island town | 521 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Winter Harbor town | 441 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Amherst town | 393 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Swans Island town | 388 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Waltham town | 387 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Sorrento town | 322 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Cranberry Isles town | 187 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Aurora town | 163 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Central Hancock UT | 163 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Osborn town | 86 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| East Hancock UT | 66 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Great Pond town | 44 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Frenchboro town | 17 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Marshall Island UT | 0 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
| Northwest Hancock UT | 0 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,270 in 04408 (Aurora) and $2,250 in 04677 (Sorrento), with the 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04408 | Aurora | $1,270 | -15.4% |
| 04416 | Bucksport | $1,360 | -9.4% |
| 04420 | Castine | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04421 | Castine | $1,580 | +5.3% |
| 04431 | East Orland | $1,750 | +16.6% |
| 04472 | Orland | $1,750 | +16.6% |
| 04476 | Penobscot | $1,520 | +1.3% |
| 04605 | Ellsworth | $1,450 | -3.4% |
| 04607 | Gouldsboro | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04609 | Bar Harbor | $1,730 | +15.3% |
| 04612 | Bernard | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04613 | Birch Harbor | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04614 | Blue Hill | $1,620 | +7.9% |
| 04616 | Brooklin | $1,840 | +22.6% |
| 04617 | Brooksville | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04624 | Corea | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04625 | Cranberry Isles | $1,470 | -2.1% |
| 04627 | Deer Isle | $1,590 | +5.9% |
| 04629 | East Blue Hill | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04634 | Franklin | $1,540 | +2.6% |
| 04635 | Frenchboro | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04640 | Hancock | $1,520 | +1.3% |
| 04642 | Harborside | $1,790 | +19.3% |
| 04644 | Hulls Cove | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04646 | Islesford | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04650 | Little Deer Isle | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04653 | Bass Harbor | $2,180 | +45.2% |
| 04660 | Mount Desert | $1,570 | +4.6% |
| 04662 | Northeast Harbor | $1,820 | +21.3% |
| 04664 | Sullivan | $1,550 | +3.3% |
| 04669 | Prospect Harbor | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04672 | Salsbury Cove | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04673 | Sargentville | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04674 | Seal Cove | $1,590 | +5.9% |
| 04675 | Seal Harbor | $1,660 | +10.6% |
| 04676 | Sedgwick | $1,500 | -0.1% |
| 04677 | Sorrento | $2,250 | +49.9% |
| 04679 | Southwest Harbor | $1,330 | -11.4% |
| 04681 | Stonington | $1,330 | -11.4% |
| 04683 | Sunset | $1,590 | +5.9% |
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 Hancock somewhere between $1,351 and $1,651. 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.
$1,501 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $60,040 a year. Put another way, $29 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,351) | HAP at 100% ($1,501) | HAP at 110% ($1,651) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $601 | $751 | $901 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $151 | $301 | $451 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 25% from FY 2025 ($1,202) to FY 2026 ($1,501). Since FY 2020 it's up 68% in total, about 9.0% a year. The Maine median moved up 20% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $726 | $759 | $894 | $1,133 | $1,230 | — |
| FY 2021 | $746 | $782 | $920 | $1,175 | $1,248 | +2.9% |
| FY 2022 | $785 | $813 | $959 | $1,252 | $1,300 | +4.2% |
| FY 2023 | $877 | $882 | $1,036 | $1,383 | $1,392 | +8.0% |
| FY 2024 | $996 | $1,002 | $1,188 | $1,576 | $1,582 | +14.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,011 | $1,017 | $1,202 | $1,588 | $1,594 | +1.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,227 | $1,234 | $1,501 | $2,047 | $2,055 | +24.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,163 | $1,171 | $1,484 | $2,050 | $2,198 | -1.1% |
Nearby counties
Waldo County
$1,43835 mi · pop 40,006
Knox County
$1,52640 mi · pop 40,860
Penobscot County
$1,55951 mi · pop 153,571
Washington County
$1,25259 mi · pop 31,261
Lincoln County
$1,40362 mi · pop 35,840
Kennebec County
$1,41667 mi · pop 125,614
Somerset County
$1,26675 mi · pop 50,852
Piscataquis County
$1,41977 mi · pop 17,125
Questions people ask
$1,501 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,227 for a studio, $1,234 for one bedroom, $2,047 for three and $2,055 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the 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
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Hancock actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hancock for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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