HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Montgomery County, Maryland (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Montgomery County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $2,246 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Montgomery keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,246
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,021 to $2,471
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$89,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
3rd of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Montgomery moves to $2,438. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Montgomery actually rent for?
Search any address in Montgomery 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 | $1,953 | $1,758 to $2,148 | $78,120 | $37.56/hr | -2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,015 | $1,814 to $2,217 | $80,600 | $38.75/hr | -2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,246 | $2,021 to $2,471 | $89,840 | $43.19/hr | -2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,835 | $2,552 to $3,119 | $113,400 | $54.52/hr | -2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,332 | $2,999 to $3,665 | $133,280 | $64.08/hr | -2.4% |
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 | $3,832 | $3,449 to $4,215 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,332 | $3,899 to $4,765 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,831 | $4,348 to $5,314 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,331 | $4,798 to $5,864 |
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 Montgomery, that runs from $1,953 for a studio up to $3,332 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 Montgomery in with 18 other counties in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Fairfax County, Prince George's County, District of Columbia among them, and every one of them gets $2,246 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, Montgomery ranks 3rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 22% above the state median of $1,845 and about 121% above the national median county at $1,018. About 1,056,910 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro rate
Fairfax County
$2,246VA · pop 1,145,354
Prince George's County
$2,246MD · pop 957,189
District of Columbia
$2,246DC · pop 670,587
Prince William County
$2,246VA · pop 481,114
Loudoun County
$2,246VA · pop 420,773
Frederick County
$2,246MD · pop 273,829
Arlington County
$2,246VA · pop 235,845
Charles County
$2,246MD · pop 167,035
Stafford County
$2,246VA · pop 157,606
Alexandria city
$2,246VA · pop 157,594
Spotsylvania County
$2,246VA · pop 141,097
Fauquier County
$2,246VA · pop 73,290
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,130 in 20899 (Gaithersburg) and $3,370 in 20817 (Bethesda), with the 70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20810 | Bethesda | $2,246County rate | — |
| 20811 | Bethesda | $2,246County rate | — |
| 20812 | Glen Echo | $3,080 | +37.1% |
| 20813 | Bethesda | $2,246County rate | — |
| 20814 | Bethesda | $2,720 | +21.1% |
| 20815 | Chevy Chase | $2,680 | +19.3% |
| 20816 | Bethesda | $3,010 | +34.0% |
| 20817 | Bethesda | $3,370 | +50.0% |
| 20818 | Cabin John | $3,370 | +50.0% |
| 20824 | Bethesda | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20825 | Chevy Chase | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20827 | Bethesda | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20830 | Olney | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20832 | Olney | $2,710 | +20.7% |
| 20833 | Brookeville | $2,530 | +12.6% |
| 20837 | Poolesville | $2,270 | +1.1% |
| 20838 | Barnesville | $1,920 | -14.5% |
| 20839 | Beallsville | $1,830 | -18.5% |
| 20841 | Boyds | $3,100 | +38.0% |
| 20842 | Dickerson | $1,690 | -24.8% |
| 20847 | Rockville | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20848 | Rockville | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20849 | Rockville | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20850 | Rockville | $2,740 | +22.0% |
| 20851 | Rockville | $2,200 | -2.0% |
| 20852 | Rockville | $2,840 | +26.4% |
| 20853 | Rockville | $2,270 | +1.1% |
| 20854 | Potomac | $3,370 | +50.0% |
| 20855 | Derwood | $2,700 | +20.2% |
| 20857 | Rockville | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20859 | Potomac | $2,280 | +1.5% |
| 20860 | Sandy Spring | $2,240 | -0.3% |
| 20861 | Ashton | $2,130 | -5.2% |
| 20862 | Brinklow | $2,480 | +10.4% |
| 20866 | Burtonsville | $2,460 | +9.5% |
| 20868 | Spencerville | $2,270 | +1.1% |
| 20871 | Clarksburg | $2,610 | +16.2% |
| 20872 | Damascus | $1,940 | -13.6% |
| 20874 | Germantown | $2,220 | -1.2% |
| 20875 | Germantown | $2,280 | +1.5% |
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 Montgomery somewhere between $2,021 and $2,471. 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.
$2,246 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $89,840 a year. Put another way, $43 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% ($2,021) | HAP at 100% ($2,246) | HAP at 110% ($2,471) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,271 | $1,496 | $1,721 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $821 | $1,046 | $1,271 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($2,314) to FY 2026 ($2,246). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% 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 | $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 2027 | $2,111 | $2,204 | $2,438 | $3,107 | $3,658 | +8.5% |
Nearby counties
Howard County
$1,85714 mi · pop 332,011
Prince George's County
$2,24619 mi · pop 957,189
Frederick County
$2,24628 mi · pop 273,829
Anne Arundel County
$1,85730 mi · pop 588,109
Baltimore city
$1,85731 mi · pop 584,548
Carroll County
$1,85732 mi · pop 173,225
Baltimore County
$1,85736 mi · pop 850,737
Charles County
$2,24642 mi · pop 167,035
Questions people ask
$2,246 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,953 for a studio, $2,015 for one bedroom, $2,835 for three and $3,332 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 Montgomery actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Montgomery for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.