HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Somerset County, Maine (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Somerset County is $1,242 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,242
-1.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,118–$1,366
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$49,680
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
13th 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 | $1,031 | $928–$1,134 | $41,240 | $19.83/hr | +1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,038 | $934–$1,142 | $41,520 | $19.96/hr | -4.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,242 | $1,118–$1,366 | $49,680 | $23.88/hr | -1.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,676 | $1,508–$1,844 | $67,040 | $32.23/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,731 | $1,558–$1,904 | $69,240 | $33.29/hr | -4.5% |
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 | $1,991 | $1,792–$2,190 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,250 | $2,025–$2,475 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,510 | $2,259–$2,761 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,770 | $2,493–$3,047 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
No card needed
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 $1,118 and $1,366. 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.
$1,242 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,680 a year. Put another way, $24 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%$1,118 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,242 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,366 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $368 | $492 | $616 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $42 | $166 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2026 ($1,266) to FY 2027 ($1,242). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 6.9% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 | -1.9% |
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 Somerset, that runs from $1,031 for a studio up to $1,731 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 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% below the state median of $1,371 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,063. About 50,959 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,140 in 04920 (Bingham) and $1,860 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 | $1,280 | +3.1% |
| 04911 | Anson | $1,200 | -3.4% |
| 04912 | Athens | $1,150 | -7.4% |
| 04920 | Bingham | $1,140 | -8.2% |
| 04923 | Cambridge | $1,240 | -0.2% |
| 04924 | Canaan | $1,630 | +31.2% |
| 04925 | Caratunk | $1,240 | -0.2% |
| 04929 | Detroit | $1,300 | +4.7% |
| 04937 | Fairfield | $1,280 | +3.1% |
| 04942 | Harmony | $1,280 | +3.1% |
| 04943 | Hartland | $1,140 | -8.2% |
| 04944 | Hinckley | $1,260 | +1.4% |
| 04945 | Jackman | $1,860 | +49.8% |
| 04950 | Madison | $1,460 | +17.6% |
| 04954 | New Portland | $1,240 | -0.2% |
| 04957 | Norridgewock | $1,460 | +17.6% |
| 04958 | North Anson | $1,230 | -1.0% |
| 04961 | New Portland | $1,490 | +20.0% |
| 04965 | Palmyra | $1,460 | +17.6% |
| 04967 | Pittsfield | $1,360 | +9.5% |
| 04971 | Saint Albans | $1,310 | +5.5% |
| 04975 | Shawmut | $1,250 | +0.6% |
| 04976 | Skowhegan | $1,180 | -5.0% |
| 04978 | Smithfield | $1,270 | +2.3% |
| 04979 | Solon | $1,160 | -6.6% |
| 04985 | West Forks | $1,240 | -0.2% |
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 2027, so the county number is the town number wherever you are.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan town | 8,653 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Fairfield town | 6,519 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Madison town | 4,782 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Pittsfield town | 3,930 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Norridgewock town | 3,288 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Anson town | 2,331 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Palmyra town | 2,209 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Canaan town | 2,063 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| St. Albans town | 1,831 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Hartland town | 1,602 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Cornville town | 1,419 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Embden town | 995 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Harmony town | 974 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Solon town | 963 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Moscow town | 865 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Smithfield town | 856 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Athens town | 791 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Mercer town | 718 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Jackman town | 695 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| New Portland town | 686 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Bingham town | 660 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Detroit town | 650 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Starks town | 556 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Cambridge town | 532 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Northeast Somerset UT | 516 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Ripley town | 436 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Central Somerset UT | 333 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Moose River town | 248 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Highland plantation | 154 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Dennistown plantation | 134 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| West Forks plantation | 125 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Caratunk town | 101 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Brighton plantation | 98 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| The Forks plantation | 92 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Pleasant Ridge plantation | 87 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Seboomook Lake UT | 41 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
| Northwest Somerset UT | 26 | $1,031 | $1,038 | $1,242 | $1,676 | $1,731 |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Somerset.
Franklin County
30 mi · 30,413 people
$1,264
+2%
Piscataquis County
31 mi · 17,263 people
$1,340
+8%
Kennebec County
38 mi · 126,808 people
$1,374
+11%
Waldo County
43 mi · 40,192 people
$1,367
+10%
Penobscot County
48 mi · 154,710 people
$1,637
+32%
Androscoggin County
59 mi · 113,423 people
$1,677
+35%
Oxford County
63 mi · 59,255 people
$1,224
-1%
Knox County
66 mi · 41,003 people
$1,503
+21%
Questions people ask
$1,242 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,031 for a studio, $1,038 for one bedroom, $1,676 for three and $1,731 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 Somerset actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Somerset for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.