HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wicomico County, Maryland (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wicomico County is $1,378 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,378
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,240 to $1,516
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$55,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
16th of 24
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wicomico moves to $1,428. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Wicomico actually rent for?
Search any address in Wicomico 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 | $1,054 | $949 to $1,159 | $42,160 | $20.27/hr | -6.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,061 | $955 to $1,167 | $42,440 | $20.40/hr | -6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,378 | $1,240 to $1,516 | $55,120 | $26.50/hr | -7.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,818 | $1,636 to $2,000 | $72,720 | $34.96/hr | -7.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,825 | $1,643 to $2,008 | $73,000 | $35.10/hr | -7.7% |
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 | $2,099 | $1,889 to $2,309 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,373 | $2,136 to $2,610 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,646 | $2,381 to $2,911 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,920 | $2,628 to $3,212 |
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 Wicomico, that runs from $1,054 for a studio up to $1,825 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Wicomico is its own HUD metro area (Salisbury, MD), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Wicomico ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 25% below the state median of $1,845 and about 35% above the national median county at $1,018. About 103,815 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,350 in 21801 (Salisbury) and $1,620 in 21814 (Bivalve), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21801 | Salisbury | $1,350 | -2.0% |
| 21802 | Salisbury | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21803 | Salisbury | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21804 | Salisbury | $1,490 | +8.1% |
| 21810 | Allen | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21814 | Bivalve | $1,620 | +17.6% |
| 21826 | Fruitland | $1,600 | +16.1% |
| 21830 | Hebron | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21837 | Mardela Springs | $1,410 | +2.3% |
| 21840 | Nanticoke | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21849 | Parsonsburg | $1,350 | -2.0% |
| 21850 | Pittsville | $1,380 | +0.1% |
| 21852 | Powellville | $1,378County rate | — |
| 21856 | Quantico | $1,400 | +1.6% |
| 21861 | Sharptown | $1,350 | -2.0% |
| 21865 | Tyaskin | $1,350 | -2.0% |
| 21874 | Willards | $1,570 | +13.9% |
| 21875 | Delmar | $1,490 | +8.1% |
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 Wicomico somewhere between $1,240 and $1,516. 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.
$1,378 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $55,120 a year. Put another way, $27 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% ($1,240) | HAP at 100% ($1,378) | HAP at 110% ($1,516) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $490 | $628 | $766 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $40 | $178 | $316 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2025 ($1,491) to FY 2026 ($1,378). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $652 | $810 | $1,002 | $1,365 | $1,712 | — |
| FY 2021 | $726 | $802 | $1,048 | $1,430 | $1,650 | +4.6% |
| FY 2022 | $787 | $788 | $1,037 | $1,398 | $1,566 | -1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $856 | $861 | $1,134 | $1,506 | $1,635 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $991 | $998 | $1,311 | $1,739 | $1,746 | +15.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,129 | $1,136 | $1,491 | $1,969 | $1,977 | +13.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,054 | $1,061 | $1,378 | $1,818 | $1,825 | -7.6% |
| FY 2027 | $1,095 | $1,102 | $1,428 | $1,870 | $1,877 | +3.6% |
Nearby counties
Worcester County
$1,19419 mi · pop 52,827
Dorchester County
$1,14423 mi · pop 32,557
Somerset County
$1,16723 mi · pop 24,672
Caroline County
$1,31440 mi · pop 33,320
Talbot County
$1,40941 mi · pop 37,663
Calvert County
$2,08350 mi · pop 93,244
Queen Anne's County
$1,85752 mi · pop 50,316
St. Mary's County
$1,83352 mi · pop 113,814
Questions people ask
$1,378 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,054 for a studio, $1,061 for one bedroom, $1,818 for three and $1,825 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 Wicomico actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wicomico for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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