HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Baltimore County, Maryland (FY 2026)
$1,857 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Baltimore County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Baltimore is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,857
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,671 to $2,043
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$74,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
7th of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Baltimore moves to $2,006. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Baltimore are asking $1,644. HUD says $1,857.
That's 11% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 20 Baltimore ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,362 | $1,226 to $1,498 | $54,480 | $26.19/hr | -3.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,511 | $1,360 to $1,662 | $60,440 | $29.06/hr | -5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,857 | $1,671 to $2,043 | $74,280 | $35.71/hr | -5.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,358 | $2,122 to $2,594 | $94,320 | $45.35/hr | -6.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,611 | $2,350 to $2,872 | $104,440 | $50.21/hr | -7.6% |
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 | $3,003 | $2,703 to $3,303 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,394 | $3,055 to $3,733 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,786 | $3,407 to $4,165 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,178 | $3,760 to $4,596 |
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 Baltimore, that runs from $1,362 for a studio up to $2,611 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Baltimore in with 6 other counties in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore city, Howard County among them, and every one of them gets $1,857 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Baltimore ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,845 and about 82% above the national median county at $1,018. About 850,737 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Counties sharing the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,770 in 21013 (Baldwin) and $2,660 in 21053 (Freeland), with the 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21013 | Baldwin | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21020 | Boring | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21022 | Brooklandville | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21023 | Butler | $1,860 | +0.2% |
| 21027 | Chase | $1,857County rate | — |
| 21030 | Cockeysville | $1,960 | +5.5% |
| 21031 | Hunt Valley | $1,960 | +5.5% |
| 21051 | Fork | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21052 | Fort Howard | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21053 | Freeland | $2,660 | +43.2% |
| 21057 | Glen Arm | $2,110 | +13.6% |
| 21065 | Hunt Valley | $1,857County rate | — |
| 21071 | Glyndon | $1,780 | -4.1% |
| 21082 | Hydes | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21087 | Kingsville | $1,930 | +3.9% |
| 21092 | Long Green | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21093 | Lutherville Timonium | $1,830 | -1.5% |
| 21094 | Lutherville Timonium | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21105 | Maryland Line | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21111 | Monkton | $1,870 | +0.7% |
| 21117 | Owings Mills | $2,190 | +17.9% |
| 21120 | Parkton | $2,160 | +16.3% |
| 21128 | Perry Hall | $1,950 | +5.0% |
| 21131 | Phoenix | $2,660 | +43.2% |
| 21133 | Randallstown | $1,820 | -2.0% |
| 21136 | Reisterstown | $1,780 | -4.1% |
| 21139 | Riderwood | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21152 | Sparks Glencoe | $1,930 | +3.9% |
| 21153 | Stevenson | $2,060 | +10.9% |
| 21155 | Upperco | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21156 | Upper Falls | $1,800 | -3.1% |
| 21162 | White Marsh | $1,870 | +0.7% |
| 21163 | Woodstock | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21204 | Towson | $2,200 | +18.5% |
| 21207 | Gwynn Oak | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21208 | Pikesville | $2,100 | +13.1% |
| 21219 | Sparrows Point | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21220 | Middle River | $1,870 | +0.7% |
| 21221 | Essex | $1,770 | -4.7% |
| 21222 | Dundalk | $1,770 | -4.7% |
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 Baltimore somewhere between $1,671 and $2,043. 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.
$1,857 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $74,280 a year. Put another way, $36 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% ($1,671) | HAP at 100% ($1,857) | HAP at 110% ($2,043) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $921 | $1,107 | $1,293 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $471 | $657 | $843 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2025 ($1,965) to FY 2026 ($1,857). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% a year. The Maryland median moved down 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $897 | $1,105 | $1,376 | $1,781 | $2,037 | — |
| FY 2021 | $917 | $1,115 | $1,384 | $1,793 | $2,053 | +0.6% |
| FY 2022 | $953 | $1,124 | $1,395 | $1,809 | $2,075 | +0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $1,082 | $1,254 | $1,548 | $2,009 | $2,298 | +11.0% |
| FY 2024 | $1,379 | $1,582 | $1,943 | $2,519 | $2,849 | +25.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,407 | $1,604 | $1,965 | $2,529 | $2,826 | +1.1% |
| FY 2026 | $1,362 | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | $2,611 | -5.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,523 | $1,625 | $2,006 | $2,509 | $2,789 | +8.0% |
Nearby counties
Baltimore city
$1,8578 mi · pop 584,548
Harford County
$1,85718 mi · pop 261,059
Howard County
$1,85722 mi · pop 332,011
Carroll County
$1,85723 mi · pop 173,225
Anne Arundel County
$1,85729 mi · pop 588,109
Kent County
$1,24634 mi · pop 19,289
Montgomery County
$2,24636 mi · pop 1,056,910
Cecil County
$1,81037 mi · pop 103,876
Questions people ask
$1,857 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,362 for a studio, $1,511 for one bedroom, $2,358 for three and $2,611 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 Baltimore actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Baltimore for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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