HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Waldo County, Maine (FY 2026)
$1,438 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Waldo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Waldo is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,438
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,294 to $1,582
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$57,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
8th of 16
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Waldo moves to $1,367. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Waldo actually rent for?
Search any address in Waldo 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 | $1,156 | $1,040 to $1,272 | $46,240 | $22.23/hr | +22.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,163 | $1,047 to $1,279 | $46,520 | $22.37/hr | +22.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,438 | $1,294 to $1,582 | $57,520 | $27.65/hr | +18.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,865 | $1,679 to $2,052 | $74,600 | $35.87/hr | +18.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,025 | $1,823 to $2,228 | $81,000 | $38.94/hr | +19.5% |
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 | $2,329 | $2,096 to $2,562 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,633 | $2,370 to $2,896 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,936 | $2,642 to $3,230 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,240 | $2,916 to $3,564 |
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 Waldo, that runs from $1,156 for a studio up to $2,025 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Waldo 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, Palermo included.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Waldo ranks 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,429 and about 41% above the national median county at $1,018. About 40,006 people live here, 11th in the state.
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 26 towns in Waldo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast city | 6,985 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Winterport town | 3,839 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Searsport town | 2,649 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Lincolnville town | 2,344 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Unity town | 1,928 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Stockton Springs town | 1,658 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Northport town | 1,554 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Searsmont town | 1,494 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Thorndike town | 1,469 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Palermo town | 1,420 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Frankfort town | 1,229 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Swanville town | 1,177 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Brooks town | 1,167 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Monroe town | 1,034 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Burnham town | 969 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Belmont town | 931 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Prospect town | 926 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Morrill town | 922 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Troy town | 917 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Liberty town | 913 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Waldo town | 868 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Montville town | 864 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Knox town | 854 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Islesboro town | 686 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Freedom town | 660 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
| Jackson town | 549 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,120 in 04941 (Freedom) and $1,900 in 04849 (Lincolnville), with the 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04354 | Palermo | $1,410 | -1.9% |
| 04438 | Frankfort | $1,480 | +2.9% |
| 04496 | Winterport | $1,290 | -10.3% |
| 04848 | Islesboro | $1,360 | -5.4% |
| 04849 | Lincolnville | $1,900 | +32.1% |
| 04850 | Lincolnville Center | $1,440 | +0.1% |
| 04915 | Belfast | $1,460 | +1.5% |
| 04921 | Brooks | $1,410 | -1.9% |
| 04922 | Burnham | $1,410 | -1.9% |
| 04941 | Freedom | $1,120 | -22.1% |
| 04949 | Liberty | $1,230 | -14.5% |
| 04951 | Monroe | $1,680 | +16.8% |
| 04952 | Morrill | $1,460 | +1.5% |
| 04972 | Sandy Point | $1,438County rate | — |
| 04973 | Searsmont | $1,330 | -7.5% |
| 04974 | Searsport | $1,290 | -10.3% |
| 04981 | Stockton Springs | $1,660 | +15.4% |
| 04986 | Thorndike | $1,420 | -1.3% |
| 04987 | Troy | $1,880 | +30.7% |
| 04988 | Unity | $1,390 | -3.3% |
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 Waldo somewhere between $1,294 and $1,582. 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.
$1,438 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $57,520 a year. Put another way, $28 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% ($1,294) | HAP at 100% ($1,438) | HAP at 110% ($1,582) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $544 | $688 | $832 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $94 | $238 | $382 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 18% from FY 2025 ($1,219) to FY 2026 ($1,438). Since FY 2020 it's up 74% in total, about 9.6% 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 | $707 | $727 | $828 | $1,093 | $1,454 | — |
| FY 2021 | $836 | $841 | $1,001 | $1,251 | $1,712 | +20.9% |
| FY 2022 | $837 | $842 | $1,041 | $1,287 | $1,675 | +4.0% |
| FY 2023 | $891 | $896 | $1,142 | $1,390 | $1,694 | +9.7% |
| FY 2024 | $886 | $892 | $1,160 | $1,431 | $1,606 | +1.6% |
| FY 2025 | $946 | $952 | $1,219 | $1,576 | $1,694 | +5.1% |
| FY 2026 | $1,156 | $1,163 | $1,438 | $1,865 | $2,025 | +18.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,132 | $1,148 | $1,367 | $1,766 | $1,981 | -4.9% |
Nearby counties
Knox County
$1,52628 mi · pop 40,860
Kennebec County
$1,41634 mi · pop 125,614
Hancock County
$1,50135 mi · pop 56,084
Lincoln County
$1,40341 mi · pop 35,840
Somerset County
$1,26643 mi · pop 50,852
Penobscot County
$1,55945 mi · pop 153,571
Sagadahoc County
$1,57753 mi · pop 37,093
Piscataquis County
$1,41956 mi · pop 17,125
Questions people ask
$1,438 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,156 for a studio, $1,163 for one bedroom, $1,865 for three and $2,025 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 Waldo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Waldo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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