HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Caroline County, Maryland (FY 2026)
$1,314 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Caroline County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Caroline is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,314
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,183 to $1,445
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$52,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
17th of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Caroline moves to $1,320. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Caroline actually rent for?
Search any address in Caroline 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 | $995 | $896 to $1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,001 | $901 to $1,101 | $40,040 | $19.25/hr | +1.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,314 | $1,183 to $1,445 | $52,560 | $25.27/hr | +1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,642 | $1,478 to $1,806 | $65,680 | $31.58/hr | -2.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,184 | $1,966 to $2,402 | $87,360 | $42.00/hr | +1.4% |
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 | $2,512 | $2,261 to $2,763 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,839 | $2,555 to $3,123 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,167 | $2,850 to $3,484 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,494 | $3,145 to $3,843 |
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 Caroline, that runs from $995 for a studio up to $2,184 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Caroline 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, Bethlehem included.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Caroline ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 29% below the state median of $1,845 and about 29% above the national median county at $1,018. About 33,320 people live here, 20th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,170 in 21641 (Hillsboro) and $1,990 in 21649 (Marydel), with the 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21609 | Bethlehem | $1,314County rate | — |
| 21629 | Denton | $1,400 | +6.5% |
| 21632 | Federalsburg | $1,210 | -7.9% |
| 21636 | Goldsboro | $1,530 | +16.4% |
| 21639 | Greensboro | $1,310 | -0.3% |
| 21640 | Henderson | $1,840 | +40.0% |
| 21641 | Hillsboro | $1,170 | -11.0% |
| 21649 | Marydel | $1,990 | +51.4% |
| 21655 | Preston | $1,430 | +8.8% |
| 21660 | Ridgely | $1,250 | -4.9% |
| 21670 | Templeville | $1,314County rate | — |
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 Caroline somewhere between $1,183 and $1,445. 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.
$1,314 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $52,560 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,183) | HAP at 100% ($1,314) | HAP at 110% ($1,445) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $433 | $564 | $695 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $114 | $245 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,295) to FY 2026 ($1,314). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $727 | $732 | $964 | $1,263 | $1,514 | — |
| FY 2021 | $677 | $711 | $937 | $1,238 | $1,524 | -2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $723 | $728 | $958 | $1,312 | $1,600 | +2.2% |
| FY 2023 | $794 | $800 | $1,052 | $1,426 | $1,790 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $931 | $938 | $1,232 | $1,669 | $2,058 | +17.1% |
| FY 2025 | $981 | $987 | $1,295 | $1,688 | $2,153 | +5.1% |
| FY 2026 | $995 | $1,001 | $1,314 | $1,642 | $2,184 | +1.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,002 | $1,009 | $1,320 | $1,623 | $2,188 | +0.5% |
Nearby counties
Queen Anne's County
$1,85714 mi · pop 50,316
Talbot County
$1,40922 mi · pop 37,663
Kent County
$1,24626 mi · pop 19,289
Dorchester County
$1,14434 mi · pop 32,557
Wicomico County
$1,37840 mi · pop 103,815
Anne Arundel County
$1,85741 mi · pop 588,109
Cecil County
$1,81044 mi · pop 103,876
Calvert County
$2,08347 mi · pop 93,244
Questions people ask
$1,314 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $995 for a studio, $1,001 for one bedroom, $1,642 for three and $2,184 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 Caroline actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Caroline for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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