HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Caroline County, Maryland (FY 2027)
$1,320 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Caroline County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Caroline is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,320
+0.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,188–$1,452
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$52,800
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
17th 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 | $1,002 | $902–$1,102 | $40,080 | $19.27/hr | +0.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,009 | $908–$1,110 | $40,360 | $19.40/hr | +0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,320 | $1,188–$1,452 | $52,800 | $25.38/hr | +0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,623 | $1,461–$1,785 | $64,920 | $31.21/hr | -1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,188 | $1,969–$2,407 | $87,520 | $42.08/hr | +0.2% |
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 | $2,516 | $2,264–$2,768 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,844 | $2,560–$3,128 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,173 | $2,856–$3,490 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,501 | $3,151–$3,851 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $1,188 and $1,452. 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.
$1,320 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $52,800 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,188 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,320 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,452 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $438 | $570 | $702 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $120 | $252 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,314) to FY 2027 ($1,320). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $1,002 | $1,009 | $1,320 | $1,623 | $2,188 | +0.5% |
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 Caroline, that runs from $1,002 for a studio up to $2,188 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 30% below the state median of $1,875 and about 24% above the national median county at $1,063. About 33,669 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 $1,190 in 21641 (Hillsboro) and $1,920 in 21640 (Henderson), 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 | $1,320County rate | — |
| 21629 | Denton | $1,350 | +2.3% |
| 21632 | Federalsburg | $1,210 | -8.3% |
| 21636 | Goldsboro | $1,850 | +40.2% |
| 21639 | Greensboro | $1,320 | 0.0% |
| 21640 | Henderson | $1,920 | +45.5% |
| 21641 | Hillsboro | $1,190 | -9.8% |
| 21649 | Marydel | $1,800 | +36.4% |
| 21655 | Preston | $1,500 | +13.6% |
| 21660 | Ridgely | $1,280 | -3.0% |
| 21670 | Templeville | $1,320County rate | — |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Caroline.
Queen Anne's County
14 mi · 51,825 people
$2,006
+52%
Talbot County
22 mi · 37,917 people
$1,421
+8%
Kent County
26 mi · 19,346 people
$1,241
-6%
Dorchester County
34 mi · 32,754 people
$1,159
-12%
Wicomico County
40 mi · 104,914 people
$1,428
+8%
Anne Arundel County
41 mi · 598,166 people
$2,006
+52%
Cecil County
44 mi · 104,960 people
$1,860
+41%
Calvert County
47 mi · 94,313 people
$1,890
+43%
Questions people ask
$1,320 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,002 for a studio, $1,009 for one bedroom, $1,623 for three and $2,188 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 Caroline actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Caroline for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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