HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Washington County, Maine (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Washington County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,252 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Washington keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,252
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,127 to $1,377
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maine
15th of 16
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Washington moves to $1,230. 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 Washington actually rent for?
Search any address in Washington 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 | $863 | $777 to $949 | $34,520 | $16.60/hr | +22.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $954 | $859 to $1,049 | $38,160 | $18.35/hr | +22.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,252 | $1,127 to $1,377 | $50,080 | $24.08/hr | +22.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,739 | $1,565 to $1,913 | $69,560 | $33.44/hr | +20.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,943 | $1,749 to $2,137 | $77,720 | $37.37/hr | +26.1% |
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 | $2,234 | $2,011 to $2,457 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,526 | $2,273 to $2,779 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,817 | $2,535 to $3,099 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,109 | $2,798 to $3,420 |
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 Washington, that runs from $863 for a studio up to $1,943 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Washington 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, Brookton included.
Among Maine's 16 counties, Washington ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% below the state median of $1,429 and about 23% above the national median county at $1,018. About 31,261 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by town
Maine publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 48 towns in Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calais city | 3,087 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Machias town | 2,067 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Baileyville town | 1,394 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| East Machias town | 1,285 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Jonesport town | 1,276 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Milbridge town | 1,261 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Lubec town | 1,246 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Steuben town | 1,233 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Eastport city | 1,230 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Addison town | 1,077 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Machiasport town | 1,001 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Pembroke town | 884 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Harrington town | 864 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Cherryfield town | 859 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Princeton town | 767 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation | 747 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Danforth town | 739 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Perry town | 724 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| North Washington UT | 706 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Robbinston town | 647 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| East Central Washington UT | 595 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation | 583 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Columbia town | 577 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Alexander town | 574 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Whiting town | 536 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Cutler town | 528 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Jonesboro town | 494 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Marshfield town | 463 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Beals town | 451 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Columbia Falls town | 383 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Charlotte town | 369 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Northfield town | 338 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Roque Bluffs town | 306 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Topsfield town | 230 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Baring plantation | 200 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Dennysville town | 190 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Grand Lake Stream plantation | 188 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Whitneyville town | 160 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Vanceboro town | 158 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Cooper town | 155 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Wesley town | 154 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Meddybemps town | 130 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Waite town | 123 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Crawford town | 95 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Deblois town | 95 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Talmadge town | 62 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Beddington town | 20 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
| Codyville plantation | 10 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 04424 (Danforth) and $1,880 in 04671 (Robbinston), with the 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04413 | Brookton | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04424 | Danforth | $970 | -22.5% |
| 04454 | Lambert Lake | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04490 | Topsfield | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04491 | Vanceboro | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04492 | Waite | $1,320 | +5.4% |
| 04606 | Addison | $1,490 | +19.0% |
| 04611 | Beals | $1,090 | -12.9% |
| 04619 | Calais | $1,140 | -8.9% |
| 04622 | Cherryfield | $1,090 | -12.9% |
| 04623 | Columbia Falls | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 04626 | Cutler | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04628 | Dennysville | $1,420 | +13.4% |
| 04630 | East Machias | $1,760 | +40.6% |
| 04631 | Eastport | $1,210 | -3.4% |
| 04637 | Grand Lake Stream | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 04643 | Harrington | $1,650 | +31.8% |
| 04648 | Jonesboro | $1,560 | +24.6% |
| 04649 | Jonesport | $1,340 | +7.0% |
| 04652 | Lubec | $1,370 | +9.4% |
| 04654 | Machias | $1,080 | -13.7% |
| 04655 | Machiasport | $1,480 | +18.2% |
| 04657 | Meddybemps | $1,540 | +23.0% |
| 04658 | Milbridge | $1,220 | -2.6% |
| 04666 | Pembroke | $1,430 | +14.2% |
| 04667 | Perry | $1,550 | +23.8% |
| 04668 | Princeton | $1,320 | +5.4% |
| 04671 | Robbinston | $1,880 | +50.2% |
| 04680 | Steuben | $1,150 | -8.1% |
| 04686 | Wesley | $1,320 | +5.4% |
| 04691 | Whiting | $1,490 | +19.0% |
| 04694 | Baileyville | $1,580 | +26.2% |
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 Washington somewhere between $1,127 and $1,377. 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.
$1,252 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,080 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% ($1,127) | HAP at 100% ($1,252) | HAP at 110% ($1,377) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $377 | $502 | $627 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $52 | $177 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 22% from FY 2025 ($1,026) to FY 2026 ($1,252). Since FY 2020 it's up 60% in total, about 8.2% 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 | $590 | $594 | $782 | $974 | $1,059 | — |
| FY 2021 | $599 | $603 | $795 | $989 | $1,085 | +1.7% |
| FY 2022 | $635 | $639 | $841 | $1,049 | $1,221 | +5.8% |
| FY 2023 | $651 | $675 | $889 | $1,181 | $1,271 | +5.7% |
| FY 2024 | $669 | $751 | $987 | $1,371 | $1,453 | +11.0% |
| FY 2025 | $704 | $782 | $1,026 | $1,438 | $1,541 | +4.0% |
| FY 2026 | $863 | $954 | $1,252 | $1,739 | $1,943 | +22.0% |
| FY 2027 | $927 | $951 | $1,230 | $1,637 | $1,883 | -1.8% |
Nearby counties
Hancock County
$1,50159 mi · pop 56,084
Penobscot County
$1,55962 mi · pop 153,571
Waldo County
$1,43885 mi · pop 40,006
Piscataquis County
$1,41992 mi · pop 17,125
Knox County
$1,52699 mi · pop 40,860
Somerset County
$1,266108 mi · pop 50,852
Kennebec County
$1,416118 mi · pop 125,614
Lincoln County
$1,403121 mi · pop 35,840
Questions people ask
$1,252 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $863 for a studio, $954 for one bedroom, $1,739 for three and $1,943 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 Washington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Washington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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