HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Frederick County, Maryland (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Frederick County is $2,438 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,438
+8.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$2,194–$2,682
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$97,520
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
2nd 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 | $2,111 | $1,900–$2,322 | $84,440 | $40.60/hr | +8.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,204 | $1,984–$2,424 | $88,160 | $42.38/hr | +9.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,438 | $2,194–$2,682 | $97,520 | $46.88/hr | +8.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,107 | $2,796–$3,418 | $124,280 | $59.75/hr | +9.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,658 | $3,292–$4,024 | $146,320 | $70.35/hr | +9.8% |
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 | $4,207 | $3,786–$4,628 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,755 | $4,280–$5,231 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,304 | $4,774–$5,834 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,853 | $5,268–$6,438 |
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 Frederick actually rent for?
Search any address in Frederick 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 Frederick somewhere between $2,194 and $2,682. 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.
$2,438 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $97,520 a year. Put another way, $47 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%$2,194 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,438 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,682 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,444 | $1,688 | $1,932 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $994 | $1,238 | $1,482 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2026 ($2,246) to FY 2027 ($2,438). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $1,457 | $1,500 | $1,707 | $2,215 | $2,707 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,513 | $1,548 | $1,765 | $2,263 | $2,742 | +3.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,539 | $1,567 | $1,785 | $2,260 | $2,713 | +1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $1,589 | $1,615 | $1,838 | $2,299 | $2,742 | +3.0% |
| FY 2024 | $1,772 | $1,803 | $2,045 | $2,544 | $3,015 | +11.3% |
| FY 2025 | $2,012 | $2,056 | $2,314 | $2,893 | $3,413 | +13.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,953 | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | $3,332 | -2.9% |
| FY 2027In effect | $2,111 | $2,204 | $2,438 | $3,107 | $3,658 | +8.5% |
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 Frederick, that runs from $2,111 for a studio up to $3,658 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 Frederick in with 18 other counties in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Fairfax County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County among them, and every one of them gets $2,438 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, Frederick ranks 2nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 30% above the state median of $1,875 and about 129% above the national median county at $1,063. About 287,048 people live here, 7th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,280 in 21788 (Thurmont) and $3,140 in 21704 (Frederick), with the 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21701 | Frederick | $2,080 | -14.7% |
| 21702 | Frederick | $2,010 | -17.6% |
| 21703 | Frederick | $2,340 | -4.0% |
| 21704 | Frederick | $3,140 | +28.8% |
| 21705 | Frederick | $2,080 | -14.7% |
| 21709 | Frederick | $2,438County rate | — |
| 21710 | Adamstown | $2,110 | -13.5% |
| 21714 | Braddock Heights | $1,990 | -18.4% |
| 21716 | Brunswick | $1,390 | -43.0% |
| 21717 | Buckeystown | $2,560 | +5.0% |
| 21718 | Burkittsville | $1,310 | -46.3% |
| 21727 | Emmitsburg | $1,310 | -46.3% |
| 21754 | Ijamsville | $2,920 | +19.8% |
| 21755 | Jefferson | $1,500 | -38.5% |
| 21758 | Knoxville | $2,040 | -16.3% |
| 21759 | Ladiesburg | $2,438County rate | — |
| 21762 | Libertytown | $1,760 | -27.8% |
| 21769 | Middletown | $1,950 | -20.0% |
| 21770 | Monrovia | $2,550 | +4.6% |
| 21771 | Mount Airy | $2,580 | +5.8% |
| 21773 | Myersville | $2,080 | -14.7% |
| 21774 | New Market | $2,960 | +21.4% |
| 21775 | New Midway | $2,438County rate | — |
| 21777 | Point Of Rocks | $1,820 | -25.3% |
| 21778 | Rocky Ridge | $1,420 | -41.8% |
| 21780 | Sabillasville | $1,520 | -37.7% |
| 21788 | Thurmont | $1,280 | -47.5% |
| 21790 | Tuscarora | $2,140 | -12.2% |
| 21792 | Unionville | $2,438County rate | — |
| 21793 | Walkersville | $1,970 | -19.2% |
| 21798 | Woodsboro | $1,590 | -34.8% |
Counties sharing the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,438 two-bedroom figure as Frederick.
Fairfax County
VA · 1,147,837 people
$2,438
Montgomery County
1,065,949 people
$2,438
Prince George's County
959,754 people
$2,438
District of Columbia
DC · 681,294 people
$2,438
Prince William County
VA · 488,880 people
$2,438
Loudoun County
VA · 432,998 people
$2,438
Arlington County
VA · 236,254 people
$2,438
Charles County
170,527 people
$2,438
Stafford County
VA · 163,466 people
$2,438
Alexandria city
VA · 156,976 people
$2,438
Spotsylvania County
VA · 146,603 people
$2,438
Fauquier County
VA · 74,577 people
$2,438
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Frederick.
Washington County
21 mi · 155,709 people
$1,284
-47%
Carroll County
22 mi · 175,321 people
$2,006
-18%
Montgomery County
28 mi · 1,065,949 people
$2,438
same rate
Howard County
32 mi · 336,328 people
$2,006
-18%
Baltimore County
42 mi · 850,796 people
$2,006
-18%
Baltimore city
43 mi · 573,243 people
$2,006
-18%
Prince George's County
47 mi · 959,754 people
$2,438
same rate
Anne Arundel County
53 mi · 598,166 people
$2,006
-18%
Questions people ask
$2,438 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $2,111 for a studio, $2,204 for one bedroom, $3,107 for three and $3,658 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 Frederick actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Frederick for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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