HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Somerset County, Maine (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Somerset County is $1,266 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,266
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,139 to $1,393
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
14th of 16
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Somerset moves to $1,242. 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 Somerset actually rent for?
Search any address in Somerset 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 | $1,015 | $914 to $1,117 | $40,600 | $19.52/hr | +20.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,083 | $975 to $1,191 | $43,320 | $20.83/hr | +18.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,266 | $1,139 to $1,393 | $50,640 | $24.35/hr | +20.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,689 | $1,520 to $1,858 | $67,560 | $32.48/hr | +25.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,812 | $1,631 to $1,993 | $72,480 | $34.85/hr | +20.0% |
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 | $2,084 | $1,876 to $2,292 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,356 | $2,120 to $2,592 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,627 | $2,364 to $2,890 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,899 | $2,609 to $3,189 |
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 Somerset, that runs from $1,015 for a studio up to $1,812 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Somerset 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, New Portland included.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Somerset ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $1,429 and about 24% above the national median county at $1,018. About 50,852 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 37 towns in Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan town | 8,639 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Fairfield town | 6,523 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Madison town | 4,761 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Pittsfield town | 3,918 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Norridgewock town | 3,296 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Anson town | 2,570 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Palmyra town | 2,150 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Canaan town | 2,082 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| St. Albans town | 1,703 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Hartland town | 1,681 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Cornville town | 1,478 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Harmony town | 931 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Solon town | 919 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Embden town | 890 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Athens town | 880 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Smithfield town | 867 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Mercer town | 794 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Moscow town | 765 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Jackman town | 756 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Detroit town | 706 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Bingham town | 672 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Northeast Somerset UT | 671 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| New Portland town | 571 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Cambridge town | 520 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Starks town | 462 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Ripley town | 404 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Central Somerset UT | 367 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Moose River town | 189 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Highland plantation | 118 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| West Forks plantation | 106 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Dennistown plantation | 95 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Brighton plantation | 86 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Caratunk town | 80 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Pleasant Ridge plantation | 77 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| The Forks plantation | 57 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Seboomook Lake UT | 43 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
| Northwest Somerset UT | 25 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,090 in 04920 (Bingham) and $1,700 in 04945 (Jackman), with the 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04478 | Rockwood | $1,270 | +0.3% |
| 04911 | Anson | $1,220 | -3.6% |
| 04912 | Athens | $1,160 | -8.4% |
| 04920 | Bingham | $1,090 | -13.9% |
| 04923 | Cambridge | $1,270 | +0.3% |
| 04924 | Canaan | $1,670 | +31.9% |
| 04925 | Caratunk | $1,270 | +0.3% |
| 04929 | Detroit | $1,280 | +1.1% |
| 04937 | Fairfield | $1,230 | -2.8% |
| 04942 | Harmony | $1,290 | +1.9% |
| 04943 | Hartland | $1,150 | -9.2% |
| 04944 | Hinckley | $1,270 | +0.3% |
| 04945 | Jackman | $1,700 | +34.3% |
| 04950 | Madison | $1,520 | +20.1% |
| 04954 | New Portland | $1,270 | +0.3% |
| 04957 | Norridgewock | $1,410 | +11.4% |
| 04958 | North Anson | $1,250 | -1.3% |
| 04961 | New Portland | $1,460 | +15.3% |
| 04965 | Palmyra | $1,500 | +18.5% |
| 04967 | Pittsfield | $1,440 | +13.7% |
| 04971 | Saint Albans | $1,280 | +1.1% |
| 04975 | Shawmut | $1,230 | -2.8% |
| 04976 | Skowhegan | $1,210 | -4.4% |
| 04978 | Smithfield | $1,230 | -2.8% |
| 04979 | Solon | $1,130 | -10.7% |
| 04985 | West Forks | $1,270 | +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 Somerset somewhere between $1,139 and $1,393. 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.
$1,266 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,640 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,139) | HAP at 100% ($1,266) | HAP at 110% ($1,393) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $389 | $516 | $643 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $66 | $193 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 20% from FY 2025 ($1,053) to FY 2026 ($1,266). Since FY 2020 it's up 62% in total, about 8.4% 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 | $522 | $597 | $781 | $1,022 | $1,120 | — |
| FY 2021 | $527 | $606 | $798 | $1,035 | $1,129 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $591 | $646 | $850 | $1,084 | $1,225 | +6.5% |
| FY 2023 | $717 | $721 | $920 | $1,140 | $1,288 | +8.2% |
| FY 2024 | $815 | $846 | $1,026 | $1,269 | $1,465 | +11.5% |
| FY 2025 | $841 | $911 | $1,053 | $1,350 | $1,510 | +2.6% |
| FY 2026 | $1,015 | $1,083 | $1,266 | $1,689 | $1,812 | +20.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Franklin County
$1,32230 mi · pop 30,145
Piscataquis County
$1,41931 mi · pop 17,125
Kennebec County
$1,41638 mi · pop 125,614
Waldo County
$1,43843 mi · pop 40,006
Penobscot County
$1,55948 mi · pop 153,571
Androscoggin County
$1,58659 mi · pop 112,323
Oxford County
$1,29563 mi · pop 58,728
Knox County
$1,52666 mi · pop 40,860
Questions people ask
$1,266 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,015 for a studio, $1,083 for one bedroom, $1,689 for three and $1,812 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 Somerset actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Somerset for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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