HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Knox County, Maine (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Knox County is $1,526 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,526
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,373 to $1,679
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$61,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
6th of 16
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Knox moves to $1,503. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Knox actually rent for?
Search any address in Knox 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 | $1,223 | $1,101 to $1,345 | $48,920 | $23.52/hr | +51.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,270 | $1,143 to $1,397 | $50,800 | $24.42/hr | +27.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,526 | $1,373 to $1,679 | $61,040 | $29.35/hr | +29.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,928 | $1,735 to $2,121 | $77,120 | $37.08/hr | +31.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,085 | $1,877 to $2,294 | $83,400 | $40.10/hr | +16.0% |
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 | $2,398 | $2,158 to $2,638 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,711 | $2,440 to $2,982 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,023 | $2,721 to $3,325 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,336 | $3,002 to $3,670 |
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 Knox, that runs from $1,223 for a studio up to $2,085 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Knox 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, Friendship included.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Knox ranks 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,429 and about 50% above the national median county at $1,018. About 40,860 people live here, 10th in the state.
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 20 towns in Knox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland city | 6,991 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Camden town | 5,243 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Warren town | 4,893 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Rockport town | 3,663 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Thomaston town | 2,761 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Union town | 2,693 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| St. George town | 2,603 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Hope town | 1,711 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Washington town | 1,618 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Appleton town | 1,502 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| South Thomaston town | 1,429 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Cushing town | 1,407 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Owls Head town | 1,375 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Friendship town | 1,276 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Vinalhaven town | 1,063 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| North Haven town | 488 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Matinicus Isle plantation | 85 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Isle au Haut town | 59 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Criehaven UT | 0 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
| Muscle Ridge Island UT | 0 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,330 in 04645 (Isle Au Haut) and $2,160 in 04860 (Tenants Harbor), with the 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04547 | Friendship | $1,790 | +17.3% |
| 04563 | Cushing | $1,840 | +20.6% |
| 04574 | Washington | $1,600 | +4.8% |
| 04645 | Isle Au Haut | $1,330 | -12.8% |
| 04841 | Rockland | $1,390 | -8.9% |
| 04843 | Camden | $1,670 | +9.4% |
| 04847 | Hope | $1,530 | +0.3% |
| 04851 | Matinicus | $1,530 | +0.3% |
| 04853 | North Haven | $1,780 | +16.6% |
| 04854 | Owls Head | $1,730 | +13.4% |
| 04855 | Port Clyde | $2,110 | +38.3% |
| 04856 | Rockport | $1,750 | +14.7% |
| 04858 | South Thomaston | $1,990 | +30.4% |
| 04859 | Spruce Head | $2,090 | +37.0% |
| 04860 | Tenants Harbor | $2,160 | +41.5% |
| 04861 | Thomaston | $1,380 | -9.6% |
| 04862 | Union | $1,360 | -10.9% |
| 04863 | Vinalhaven | $1,460 | -4.3% |
| 04864 | Warren | $1,440 | -5.6% |
| 04865 | West Rockport | $1,530 | +0.3% |
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 Knox somewhere between $1,373 and $1,679. 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.
$1,526 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,040 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% ($1,373) | HAP at 100% ($1,526) | HAP at 110% ($1,679) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $623 | $776 | $929 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $173 | $326 | $479 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 30% from FY 2025 ($1,178) to FY 2026 ($1,526). Since FY 2020 it's up 81% in total, about 10.4% 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 | $676 | $706 | $842 | $1,174 | $1,242 | — |
| FY 2021 | $771 | $815 | $967 | $1,329 | $1,365 | +14.8% |
| FY 2022 | $818 | $829 | $1,005 | $1,332 | $1,363 | +3.9% |
| FY 2023 | $738 | $918 | $1,103 | $1,419 | $1,482 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $890 | $929 | $1,120 | $1,406 | $1,585 | +1.5% |
| FY 2025 | $808 | $997 | $1,178 | $1,471 | $1,798 | +5.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,223 | $1,270 | $1,526 | $1,928 | $2,085 | +29.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,101 | $1,236 | $1,503 | $1,968 | $1,975 | -1.5% |
Nearby counties
Lincoln County
$1,40323 mi · pop 35,840
Waldo County
$1,43828 mi · pop 40,006
Sagadahoc County
$1,57738 mi · pop 37,093
Hancock County
$1,50140 mi · pop 56,084
Kennebec County
$1,41640 mi · pop 125,614
Androscoggin County
$1,58656 mi · pop 112,323
Cumberland County
$2,08263 mi · pop 305,940
Somerset County
$1,26666 mi · pop 50,852
Questions people ask
$1,526 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,223 for a studio, $1,270 for one bedroom, $1,928 for three and $2,085 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 Knox actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Knox for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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