HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Bristol County, Massachusetts (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Bristol County is $1,798 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,798
+7.2% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,618–$1,978
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$71,920
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
12th of 14
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Bristol moves to $1,928. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 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 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,351 | $1,216–$1,486 | $54,040 | $25.98/hr | +8.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,427 | $1,284–$1,570 | $57,080 | $27.44/hr | +6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,798 | $1,618–$1,978 | $71,920 | $34.58/hr | +7.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,177 | $1,959–$2,395 | $87,080 | $41.87/hr | +6.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,563 | $2,307–$2,819 | $102,520 | $49.29/hr | +7.1% |
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 | $2,947 | $2,652–$3,242 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,332 | $2,999–$3,665 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,716 | $3,344–$4,088 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,101 | $3,691–$4,511 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Rates by town
Massachusetts publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. The 20 towns in Bristol County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,527 to $2,550 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Bedford cityLowest | 100,731 | $1,203 | $1,230 | $1,527 | $1,831 | $2,289 |
| Fall River city | 93,764 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Taunton city | 59,719 | $1,433 | $1,584 | $2,078 | $2,562 | $2,751 |
| Attleboro city | 46,499 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Dartmouth town | 32,621 | $1,203 | $1,230 | $1,527 | $1,831 | $2,289 |
| North Attleborough Town city | 30,842 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Easton townHighest | 25,162 | $1,931 | $1,943 | $2,550 | $3,057 | $3,679 |
| Mansfield town | 23,855 | $1,433 | $1,584 | $2,078 | $2,562 | $2,751 |
| Norton town | 19,155 | $1,433 | $1,584 | $2,078 | $2,562 | $2,751 |
| Somerset town | 18,246 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Swansea town | 17,231 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Westport town | 16,382 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Fairhaven town | 15,878 | $1,203 | $1,230 | $1,527 | $1,831 | $2,289 |
| Seekonk town | 15,573 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Raynham town | 15,273 | $1,931 | $1,943 | $2,550 | $3,057 | $3,679 |
| Rehoboth town | 12,809 | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | $2,480 |
| Acushnet town | 10,563 | $1,203 | $1,230 | $1,527 | $1,831 | $2,289 |
| Freetown town | 9,222 | $1,203 | $1,230 | $1,527 | $1,831 | $2,289 |
| Dighton town | 8,122 | $1,433 | $1,584 | $2,078 | $2,562 | $2,751 |
| Berkley town | 6,789 | $1,433 | $1,584 | $2,078 | $2,562 | $2,751 |
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Bristol actually rent for?
Search any address in Bristol 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 Bristol somewhere between $1,618 and $1,978. 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.
$1,798 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $71,920 a year. Put another way, $35 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%$1,618 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,798 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,978 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $868 | $1,048 | $1,228 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $418 | $598 | $778 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,678) to FY 2026 ($1,798). Since FY 2020 it's up 64% in total, about 8.6% a year. The Massachusetts median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $807 | $893 | $1,099 | $1,391 | $1,577 | — |
| FY 2021 | $848 | $942 | $1,164 | $1,469 | $1,679 | +5.9% |
| FY 2022 | $921 | $1,033 | $1,282 | $1,599 | $1,865 | +10.1% |
| FY 2023 | $1,057 | $1,181 | $1,467 | $1,800 | $2,104 | +14.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,245 | $1,376 | $1,711 | $2,089 | $2,466 | +16.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,243 | $1,339 | $1,678 | $2,046 | $2,392 | -1.9% |
| FY 2026In effect | $1,351 | $1,427 | $1,798 | $2,177 | $2,563 | +7.2% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,444 | $1,530 | $1,928 | $2,325 | $2,712 | +7.2% |
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Bristol, that runs from $1,351 for a studio up to $2,563 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Bristol is its own HUD metro area (New Bedford, MA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Bristol ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% below the state median of $2,283 and about 77% above the national median county at $1,018. About 578,436 people live here, 6th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,460 in 02721 (Fall River) and $2,880 in 02375 (South Easton), with the 42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02048 | Mansfield | $2,560 | +42.4% |
| 02334 | Easton | $2,170 | +20.7% |
| 02356 | North Easton | $2,560 | +42.4% |
| 02357 | North Easton | $2,520 | +40.2% |
| 02375 | South Easton | $2,880 | +60.2% |
| 02702 | Assonet | $2,120 | +17.9% |
| 02703 | Attleboro | $1,980 | +10.1% |
| 02712 | Chartley | $1,750 | -2.7% |
| 02714 | Dartmouth | $1,798County rate | — |
| 02715 | Dighton | $1,870 | +4.0% |
| 02717 | East Freetown | $2,350 | +30.7% |
| 02718 | East Taunton | $2,440 | +35.7% |
| 02719 | Fairhaven | $1,470 | -18.2% |
| 02720 | Fall River | $1,620 | -9.9% |
| 02721 | Fall River | $1,460 | -18.8% |
| 02722 | Fall River | $1,650 | -8.2% |
| 02723 | Fall River | $1,510 | -16.0% |
| 02724 | Fall River | $1,540 | -14.3% |
| 02725 | Somerset | $1,710 | -4.9% |
| 02726 | Somerset | $1,830 | +1.8% |
| 02740 | New Bedford | $1,470 | -18.2% |
| 02741 | New Bedford | $1,640 | -8.8% |
| 02742 | New Bedford | $1,640 | -8.8% |
| 02743 | Acushnet | $1,520 | -15.5% |
| 02744 | New Bedford | $1,490 | -17.1% |
| 02745 | New Bedford | $1,490 | -17.1% |
| 02746 | New Bedford | $1,490 | -17.1% |
| 02747 | North Dartmouth | $2,090 | +16.2% |
| 02748 | South Dartmouth | $1,890 | +5.1% |
| 02760 | North Attleboro | $2,560 | +42.4% |
| 02761 | North Attleboro | $1,650 | -8.2% |
| 02763 | Attleboro Falls | $1,820 | +1.2% |
| 02764 | North Dighton | $2,380 | +32.4% |
| 02766 | Norton | $2,840 | +58.0% |
| 02767 | Raynham | $2,410 | +34.0% |
| 02768 | Raynham Center | $2,170 | +20.7% |
| 02769 | Rehoboth | $1,630 | -9.3% |
| 02771 | Seekonk | $2,370 | +31.8% |
| 02777 | Swansea | $1,870 | +4.0% |
| 02779 | Berkley | $2,110 | +17.4% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Bristol.
Plymouth County
21 mi · 531,889 people
$2,629
+46%
Norfolk County
28 mi · 724,540 people
$2,937
+63%
Dukes County
35 mi · 20,751 people
$2,143
+19%
Suffolk County
38 mi · 782,172 people
$2,941
+64%
Barnstable County
43 mi · 230,073 people
$2,422
+35%
Middlesex County
47 mi · 1,622,896 people
$2,825
+57%
Worcester County
52 mi · 861,664 people
$1,997
+11%
Essex County
59 mi · 807,258 people
$2,683
+49%
Questions people ask
$1,798 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,351 for a studio, $1,427 for one bedroom, $2,177 for three and $2,563 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 Bristol actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bristol for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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