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.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,798
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,618 to $1,978
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$71,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
12th of 14
by 2BR FMR
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.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,351 | $1,216 to $1,486 | $54,040 | $25.98/hr | +8.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,427 | $1,284 to $1,570 | $57,080 | $27.44/hr | +6.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,798 | $1,618 to $1,978 | $71,920 | $34.58/hr | +7.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,177 | $1,959 to $2,395 | $87,080 | $41.87/hr | +6.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,563 | $2,307 to $2,819 | $102,520 | $49.29/hr | +7.1% |
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 | $2,947 | $2,652 to $3,242 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,332 | $2,999 to $3,665 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,716 | $3,344 to $4,088 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,101 | $3,691 to $4,511 |
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 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 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 |
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% |
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, 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% ($1,618) | HAP at 100% ($1,798) | HAP 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.
| 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 2026 | $1,351 | $1,427 | $1,798 | $2,177 | $2,563 | +7.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,444 | $1,530 | $1,928 | $2,325 | $2,712 | +7.2% |
Nearby counties
Plymouth County
$2,62921 mi · pop 531,889
Norfolk County
$2,93728 mi · pop 724,540
Dukes County
$2,14335 mi · pop 20,751
Suffolk County
$2,94138 mi · pop 782,172
Barnstable County
$2,42243 mi · pop 230,073
Middlesex County
$2,82547 mi · pop 1,622,896
Worcester County
$1,99752 mi · pop 861,664
Essex County
$2,68359 mi · pop 807,258
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
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 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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