HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Somerset County, Maryland (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Somerset County is $1,167 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,167
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,050 to $1,284
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
21st of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Somerset moves to $1,144. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Somerset actually rent for?
Search any address in Somerset 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 | $901 | $811 to $991 | $36,040 | $17.33/hr | -4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $907 | $816 to $998 | $36,280 | $17.44/hr | -4.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,167 | $1,050 to $1,284 | $46,680 | $22.44/hr | -6.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,586 | $1,427 to $1,745 | $63,440 | $30.50/hr | -1.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,667 | $1,500 to $1,834 | $66,680 | $32.06/hr | -1.1% |
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 | $1,917 | $1,725 to $2,109 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,167 | $1,950 to $2,384 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,417 | $2,175 to $2,659 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,667 | $2,400 to $2,934 |
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 Somerset, that runs from $901 for a studio up to $1,667 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Somerset is its own HUD metro area (Somerset County, MD), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Somerset ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 37% below the state median of $1,845 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,018. About 24,672 people live here, 23rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,130 in 21817 (Crisfield) and $1,730 in 21838 (Marion Station), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21817 | Crisfield | $1,130 | -3.2% |
| 21821 | Deal Island | $1,440 | +23.4% |
| 21824 | Ewell | $1,170 | +0.3% |
| 21836 | Manokin | $1,167County rate | — |
| 21838 | Marion Station | $1,730 | +48.2% |
| 21853 | Princess Anne | $1,170 | +0.3% |
| 21857 | Rehobeth | $1,167County rate | — |
| 21866 | Tylerton | $1,170 | +0.3% |
| 21867 | Upper Fairmount | $1,170 | +0.3% |
| 21871 | Westover | $1,350 | +15.7% |
| 21890 | Westover | $1,170 | +0.3% |
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 Somerset somewhere between $1,050 and $1,284. 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.
$1,167 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,680 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,050) | HAP at 100% ($1,167) | HAP at 110% ($1,284) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $300 | $417 | $534 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $84 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 7% from FY 2025 ($1,249) to FY 2026 ($1,167). Since FY 2020 it's up 58% in total, about 7.9% 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 | $501 | $647 | $740 | $1,030 | $1,151 | — |
| FY 2021 | $570 | $666 | $764 | $1,093 | $1,219 | +3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $611 | $648 | $792 | $1,070 | $1,098 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $697 | $701 | $923 | $1,235 | $1,240 | +16.5% |
| FY 2024 | $832 | $837 | $1,100 | $1,458 | $1,465 | +19.2% |
| FY 2025 | $946 | $952 | $1,249 | $1,613 | $1,686 | +13.5% |
| FY 2026 | $901 | $907 | $1,167 | $1,586 | $1,667 | -6.6% |
| FY 2027 | $905 | $910 | $1,144 | $1,498 | $1,504 | -2.0% |
Nearby counties
Wicomico County
$1,37823 mi · pop 103,815
Dorchester County
$1,14430 mi · pop 32,557
Worcester County
$1,19431 mi · pop 52,827
St. Mary's County
$1,83343 mi · pop 113,814
Calvert County
$2,08350 mi · pop 93,244
Talbot County
$1,40952 mi · pop 37,663
Caroline County
$1,31459 mi · pop 33,320
Charles County
$2,24668 mi · pop 167,035
Questions people ask
$1,167 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $901 for a studio, $907 for one bedroom, $1,586 for three and $1,667 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 Somerset actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Somerset for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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