HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Baltimore County, Maryland (FY 2027)
$2,006 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Baltimore County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Baltimore is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,006
+8.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,805–$2,207
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$80,240
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
6th of 24
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 | $1,523 | $1,371–$1,675 | $60,920 | $29.29/hr | +11.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,625 | $1,463–$1,788 | $65,000 | $31.25/hr | +7.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,006 | $1,805–$2,207 | $80,240 | $38.58/hr | +8.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,509 | $2,258–$2,760 | $100,360 | $48.25/hr | +6.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,789 | $2,510–$3,068 | $111,560 | $53.63/hr | +6.8% |
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 | $3,207 | $2,886–$3,528 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,626 | $3,263–$3,989 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,044 | $3,640–$4,448 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,462 | $4,016–$4,908 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Baltimore are asking $1,647. HUD says $2,006.
That's 18% 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.
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 Baltimore somewhere between $1,805 and $2,207. 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.
$2,006 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $80,240 a year. Put another way, $39 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%$1,805 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,006 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,207 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,055 | $1,256 | $1,457 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $605 | $806 | $1,007 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2026 ($1,857) to FY 2027 ($2,006). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 5.5% a year. The Maryland median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,523 | $1,625 | $2,006 | $2,509 | $2,789 | +8.0% |
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 Baltimore, that runs from $1,523 for a studio up to $2,789 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 $2,006 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 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,875 and about 89% above the national median county at $1,063. About 850,796 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,680 in 21013 (Baldwin) and $2,400 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 | $1,680 | -16.3% |
| 21020 | Boring | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21022 | Brooklandville | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21023 | Butler | $1,990 | -0.8% |
| 21027 | Chase | $2,006County rate | — |
| 21030 | Cockeysville | $2,140 | +6.7% |
| 21031 | Hunt Valley | $2,140 | +6.7% |
| 21051 | Fork | $1,680 | -16.3% |
| 21052 | Fort Howard | $1,770 | -11.8% |
| 21053 | Freeland | $2,400 | +19.6% |
| 21057 | Glen Arm | $1,940 | -3.3% |
| 21065 | Hunt Valley | $2,006County rate | — |
| 21071 | Glyndon | $1,910 | -4.8% |
| 21082 | Hydes | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21087 | Kingsville | $2,140 | +6.7% |
| 21092 | Long Green | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21093 | Lutherville Timonium | $1,940 | -3.3% |
| 21094 | Lutherville Timonium | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21105 | Maryland Line | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21111 | Monkton | $1,990 | -0.8% |
| 21117 | Owings Mills | $2,350 | +17.1% |
| 21120 | Parkton | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21128 | Perry Hall | $2,190 | +9.2% |
| 21131 | Phoenix | $2,400 | +19.6% |
| 21133 | Randallstown | $1,960 | -2.3% |
| 21136 | Reisterstown | $1,910 | -4.8% |
| 21139 | Riderwood | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21152 | Sparks Glencoe | $1,980 | -1.3% |
| 21153 | Stevenson | $2,240 | +11.7% |
| 21155 | Upperco | $1,810 | -9.8% |
| 21156 | Upper Falls | $1,950 | -2.8% |
| 21162 | White Marsh | $2,070 | +3.2% |
| 21163 | Woodstock | $1,780 | -11.3% |
| 21204 | Towson | $2,340 | +16.7% |
| 21207 | Gwynn Oak | $1,760 | -12.3% |
| 21208 | Pikesville | $2,340 | +16.7% |
| 21219 | Sparrows Point | $1,770 | -11.8% |
| 21220 | Middle River | $2,040 | +1.7% |
| 21221 | Essex | $1,680 | -16.3% |
| 21222 | Dundalk | $1,710 | -14.8% |
Counties sharing the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,006 two-bedroom figure as Baltimore.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Baltimore.
Baltimore city
8 mi · 573,243 people
$2,006
same rate
Harford County
18 mi · 263,757 people
$2,006
same rate
Howard County
22 mi · 336,328 people
$2,006
same rate
Carroll County
23 mi · 175,321 people
$2,006
same rate
Anne Arundel County
29 mi · 598,166 people
$2,006
same rate
Kent County
34 mi · 19,346 people
$1,241
-38%
Montgomery County
36 mi · 1,065,949 people
$2,438
+22%
Cecil County
37 mi · 104,960 people
$1,860
-7%
Questions people ask
$2,006 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,523 for a studio, $1,625 for one bedroom, $2,509 for three and $2,789 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 Baltimore actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Baltimore for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.