HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Worcester County, Maryland (FY 2027)
$1,184 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Worcester County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Worcester is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,184
-0.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,066–$1,302
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$47,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Maryland
20th 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 | $990 | $891–$1,089 | $39,600 | $19.04/hr | -3.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $995 | $896–$1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | -3.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,184 | $1,066–$1,302 | $47,360 | $22.77/hr | -0.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,639 | $1,475–$1,803 | $65,560 | $31.52/hr | -1.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,979 | $1,781–$2,177 | $79,160 | $38.06/hr | +3.1% |
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 | $2,276 | $2,048–$2,504 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,573 | $2,316–$2,830 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,870 | $2,583–$3,157 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,166 | $2,849–$3,483 |
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 Worcester actually rent for?
Search any address in Worcester 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 Worcester somewhere between $1,066 and $1,302. 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.
$1,184 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,360 a year. Put another way, $23 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%$1,066 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,184 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,302 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $316 | $434 | $552 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $102 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2026 ($1,194) to FY 2027 ($1,184). Since FY 2020 it's up 22% in total, about 2.9% 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 | $658 | $735 | $972 | $1,257 | $1,616 | — |
| FY 2021 | $748 | $752 | $958 | $1,361 | $1,659 | -1.4% |
| FY 2022 | $759 | $764 | $932 | $1,324 | $1,595 | -2.7% |
| FY 2023 | $828 | $833 | $976 | $1,387 | $1,662 | +4.7% |
| FY 2024 | $993 | $1,020 | $1,145 | $1,614 | $1,797 | +17.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,109 | $1,150 | $1,276 | $1,788 | $1,956 | +11.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,027 | $1,035 | $1,194 | $1,661 | $1,919 | -6.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $990 | $995 | $1,184 | $1,639 | $1,979 | -0.8% |
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 Worcester, that runs from $990 for a studio up to $1,979 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Worcester 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, Ocean City included.
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Worcester ranks 20th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 37% below the state median of $1,875 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,063. About 53,700 people live here, 17th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,080 in 21829 (Girdletree) and $1,590 in 21841 (Newark), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21811 | Berlin | $1,430 | +20.8% |
| 21813 | Bishopville | $1,460 | +23.3% |
| 21822 | Eden | $1,310 | +10.6% |
| 21829 | Girdletree | $1,080 | -8.8% |
| 21841 | Newark | $1,590 | +34.3% |
| 21842 | Ocean City | $1,240 | +4.7% |
| 21843 | Ocean City | $1,180 | -0.3% |
| 21851 | Pocomoke City | $1,080 | -8.8% |
| 21862 | Showell | $1,430 | +20.8% |
| 21863 | Snow Hill | $1,080 | -8.8% |
| 21864 | Stockton | $1,080 | -8.8% |
| 21872 | Whaleyville | $1,510 | +27.5% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Worcester.
Wicomico County
19 mi · 104,914 people
$1,428
+21%
Somerset County
31 mi · 24,822 people
$1,144
-3%
Dorchester County
42 mi · 32,754 people
$1,159
-2%
Caroline County
54 mi · 33,669 people
$1,320
+11%
Talbot County
59 mi · 37,917 people
$1,421
+20%
Queen Anne's County
68 mi · 51,825 people
$2,006
+69%
Calvert County
69 mi · 94,313 people
$1,890
+60%
St. Mary's County
69 mi · 115,126 people
$1,787
+51%
Questions people ask
$1,184 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $990 for a studio, $995 for one bedroom, $1,639 for three and $1,979 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 Worcester actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Worcester for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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