HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Kent County, Maryland (FY 2026)
$1,246 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Kent County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Kent is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,246
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,121 to $1,371
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
19th of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Kent moves to $1,241. 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 Kent actually rent for?
Search any address in Kent 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 | $1,062 | $956 to $1,168 | $42,480 | $20.42/hr | -4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,137 | $1,023 to $1,251 | $45,480 | $21.87/hr | +1.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,246 | $1,121 to $1,371 | $49,840 | $23.96/hr | -2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,635 | $1,472 to $1,799 | $65,400 | $31.44/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,090 | $1,881 to $2,299 | $83,600 | $40.19/hr | -2.2% |
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 | $2,404 | $2,164 to $2,644 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,717 | $2,445 to $2,989 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,031 | $2,728 to $3,334 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,344 | $3,010 to $3,678 |
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 Kent, that runs from $1,062 for a studio up to $2,090 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Kent 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, Betterton included.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Kent ranks 19th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 32% below the state median of $1,845 and about 22% above the national median county at $1,018. About 19,289 people live here, 24th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,150 in 21610 (Betterton) and $1,770 in 21620 (Chestertown), 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.
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 Kent somewhere between $1,121 and $1,371. 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.
$1,246 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,840 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,121) | HAP at 100% ($1,246) | HAP at 110% ($1,371) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $371 | $496 | $621 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $46 | $171 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,272) to FY 2026 ($1,246). Since FY 2020 it's up 21% in total, about 3.3% 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 | $775 | $781 | $1,028 | $1,416 | $1,526 | — |
| FY 2021 | $761 | $766 | $1,010 | $1,411 | $1,569 | -1.8% |
| FY 2022 | $779 | $785 | $1,028 | $1,440 | $1,644 | +1.8% |
| FY 2023 | $875 | $881 | $1,091 | $1,503 | $1,829 | +6.1% |
| FY 2024 | $1,100 | $1,111 | $1,269 | $1,699 | $2,153 | +16.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,106 | $1,119 | $1,272 | $1,649 | $2,136 | +0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,062 | $1,137 | $1,246 | $1,635 | $2,090 | -2.0% |
| FY 2027 | $956 | $1,140 | $1,241 | $1,603 | $2,050 | -0.4% |
Nearby counties
Queen Anne's County
$1,85716 mi · pop 50,316
Cecil County
$1,81020 mi · pop 103,876
Harford County
$1,85724 mi · pop 261,059
Caroline County
$1,31426 mi · pop 33,320
Baltimore city
$1,85732 mi · pop 584,548
Baltimore County
$1,85734 mi · pop 850,737
Anne Arundel County
$1,85737 mi · pop 588,109
Talbot County
$1,40937 mi · pop 37,663
Questions people ask
$1,246 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,062 for a studio, $1,137 for one bedroom, $1,635 for three and $2,090 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 Kent actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kent for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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