HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Berkshire County, Massachusetts (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Berkshire County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,657 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Berkshire keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,657
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,491 to $1,823
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$66,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
14th of 14
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Berkshire moves to $1,726. 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 Berkshire actually rent for?
Search any address in Berkshire 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 | $1,247 | $1,122 to $1,372 | $49,880 | $23.98/hr | +13.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,281 | $1,153 to $1,409 | $51,240 | $24.63/hr | +2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,657 | $1,491 to $1,823 | $66,280 | $31.87/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,145 | $1,931 to $2,360 | $85,800 | $41.25/hr | +6.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,685 | $2,417 to $2,954 | $107,400 | $51.63/hr | +11.5% |
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 | $3,088 | $2,779 to $3,397 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,491 | $3,142 to $3,840 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,893 | $3,504 to $4,282 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,296 | $3,866 to $4,726 |
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 Berkshire, that runs from $1,247 for a studio up to $2,685 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Berkshire is its own HUD metro area (Pittsfield, MA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Berkshire ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% below the state median of $2,283 and about 63% above the national median county at $1,018. About 128,047 people live here, 11th in the state.
Rates by town
Massachusetts publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. The 32 towns in Berkshire County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,626 to $1,709 depending on the town, so the headline figure above is a population-weighted average and the town table is the one to use.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield cityLowest | 43,559 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| North Adams cityHighest | 12,660 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Adams town | 8,106 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Williamstown town | 7,463 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Great Barrington town | 7,184 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Dalton town | 6,304 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Lee town | 5,751 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Lenox town | 5,076 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Sheffield town | 3,328 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Cheshire town | 3,234 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Lanesborough town | 3,033 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Becket town | 2,049 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Stockbridge town | 1,885 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Hinsdale town | 1,825 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Clarksburg town | 1,723 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Otis town | 1,678 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| New Marlborough town | 1,675 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Richmond town | 1,392 | $1,245 | $1,269 | $1,626 | $2,109 | $2,577 |
| Egremont town | 1,232 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| West Stockbridge town | 1,201 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Monterey town | 1,030 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Windsor town | 1,019 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Sandisfield town | 888 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Hancock town | 798 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Florida town | 774 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Savoy town | 733 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Peru town | 631 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Washington town | 533 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Tyringham town | 459 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Alford town | 389 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| New Ashford town | 244 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
| Mount Washington town | 191 | $1,250 | $1,302 | $1,709 | $2,206 | $2,867 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,420 in 01220 (Adams) and $2,490 in 01266 (West Stockbridge), with the 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01029 | East Otis | $1,660 | +0.2% |
| 01201 | Pittsfield | $1,680 | +1.4% |
| 01202 | Pittsfield | $1,650 | -0.4% |
| 01203 | Pittsfield | $1,657County rate | — |
| 01220 | Adams | $1,420 | -14.3% |
| 01222 | Ashley Falls | $1,640 | -1.0% |
| 01223 | Becket | $2,240 | +35.2% |
| 01224 | Berkshire | $1,800 | +8.6% |
| 01225 | Cheshire | $1,590 | -4.0% |
| 01226 | Dalton | $1,420 | -14.3% |
| 01227 | Dalton | $1,650 | -0.4% |
| 01229 | Glendale | $1,650 | -0.4% |
| 01230 | Great Barrington | $1,830 | +10.4% |
| 01235 | Hinsdale | $1,510 | -8.9% |
| 01236 | Housatonic | $2,090 | +26.1% |
| 01237 | Lanesborough | $1,800 | +8.6% |
| 01238 | Lee | $1,970 | +18.9% |
| 01240 | Lenox | $1,630 | -1.6% |
| 01242 | Lenox Dale | $1,820 | +9.8% |
| 01244 | Mill River | $1,810 | +9.2% |
| 01245 | Monterey | $1,640 | -1.0% |
| 01247 | North Adams | $1,590 | -4.0% |
| 01252 | North Egremont | $1,640 | -1.0% |
| 01253 | Otis | $1,640 | -1.0% |
| 01254 | Richmond | $1,870 | +12.9% |
| 01255 | Sandisfield | $2,100 | +26.7% |
| 01256 | Savoy | $1,560 | -5.9% |
| 01257 | Sheffield | $1,630 | -1.6% |
| 01258 | South Egremont | $1,630 | -1.6% |
| 01259 | Southfield | $1,710 | +3.2% |
| 01260 | South Lee | $1,910 | +15.3% |
| 01262 | Stockbridge | $1,910 | +15.3% |
| 01263 | Stockbridge | $1,657County rate | — |
| 01264 | Tyringham | $1,970 | +18.9% |
| 01266 | West Stockbridge | $2,490 | +50.3% |
| 01267 | Williamstown | $2,070 | +24.9% |
| 01270 | Windsor | $1,510 | -8.9% |
| 01343 | Drury | $1,510 | -8.9% |
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 Berkshire somewhere between $1,491 and $1,823. 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.
$1,657 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $66,280 a year. Put another way, $32 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% ($1,491) | HAP at 100% ($1,657) | HAP at 110% ($1,823) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $741 | $907 | $1,073 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $291 | $457 | $623 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,610) to FY 2026 ($1,657). Since FY 2020 it's up 57% in total, about 7.8% a year. The Massachusetts median held flat over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $742 | $836 | $1,056 | $1,336 | $1,458 | — |
| FY 2021 | $792 | $907 | $1,161 | $1,458 | $1,614 | +9.9% |
| FY 2022 | $882 | $1,014 | $1,299 | $1,634 | $1,803 | +11.9% |
| FY 2023 | $940 | $1,093 | $1,405 | $1,763 | $1,962 | +8.2% |
| FY 2024 | $962 | $1,101 | $1,420 | $1,787 | $2,065 | +1.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,104 | $1,250 | $1,610 | $2,020 | $2,408 | +13.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,247 | $1,281 | $1,657 | $2,145 | $2,685 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,320 | $1,333 | $1,726 | $2,299 | $2,886 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Hampshire County
$2,00428 mi · pop 156,595
Franklin County
$1,86636 mi · pop 70,922
Hampden County
$1,73436 mi · pop 462,853
Worcester County
$1,99770 mi · pop 861,664
Middlesex County
$2,82598 mi · pop 1,622,896
Norfolk County
$2,937106 mi · pop 724,540
Suffolk County
$2,941110 mi · pop 782,172
Bristol County
$1,798115 mi · pop 578,436
Questions people ask
$1,657 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,247 for a studio, $1,281 for one bedroom, $2,145 for three and $2,685 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 Berkshire actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Berkshire for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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