HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, Massachusetts (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Essex County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $2,761 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Essex keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,761
+2.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$2,485–$3,037
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$110,440
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
5th of 14
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 | $2,146 | $1,931–$2,361 | $85,840 | $41.27/hr | +4.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,245 | $2,021–$2,470 | $89,800 | $43.17/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,761 | $2,485–$3,037 | $110,440 | $53.10/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,290 | $2,961–$3,619 | $131,600 | $63.27/hr | +2.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,629 | $3,266–$3,992 | $145,160 | $69.79/hr | +2.2% |
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 | $4,173 | $3,756–$4,590 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,718 | $4,246–$5,190 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,262 | $4,736–$5,788 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,806 | $5,225–$6,387 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Rates by town
Massachusetts publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. The 34 towns in Essex County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $2,367 to $3,008 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn cityHighest | 101,709 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Lawrence cityLowest | 88,736 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Haverhill city | 67,698 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Peabody city | 54,695 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Methuen city | 53,475 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Salem city | 44,795 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Beverly city | 42,665 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Andover town | 36,652 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| North Andover town | 31,490 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Gloucester city | 30,075 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Saugus town | 28,773 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Danvers town | 28,098 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Marblehead town | 20,413 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Newburyport city | 18,652 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Amesbury city | 17,403 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Swampscott town | 15,277 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Ipswich town | 13,930 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Lynnfield town | 13,064 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Middleton town | 9,816 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Salisbury town | 9,281 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Georgetown town | 8,474 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Boxford town | 8,208 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Hamilton town | 7,600 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Rockport town | 7,009 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Groveland town | 6,777 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Newbury town | 6,777 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Merrimac town | 6,748 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Topsfield town | 6,564 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Rowley town | 6,251 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea town | 5,403 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Wenham town | 4,929 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| West Newbury town | 4,591 | $1,677 | $1,809 | $2,367 | $2,820 | $3,111 |
| Essex town | 3,701 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
| Nahant town | 3,325 | $2,440 | $2,518 | $3,008 | $3,584 | $3,953 |
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Essex actually rent for?
Search any address in Essex 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 Essex somewhere between $2,485 and $3,037. 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.
$2,761 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $110,440 a year. Put another way, $53 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%$2,485 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,761 | Voucher pays at 110%$3,037 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,735 | $2,011 | $2,287 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,285 | $1,561 | $1,837 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($2,683) to FY 2027 ($2,761). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 4.8% 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 | $1,434 | $1,605 | $1,982 | $2,470 | $2,685 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,456 | $1,632 | $2,011 | $2,502 | $2,728 | +1.5% |
| FY 2022 | $1,515 | $1,697 | $2,085 | $2,578 | $2,827 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,709 | $1,888 | $2,311 | $2,812 | $3,104 | +10.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,867 | $2,039 | $2,483 | $3,007 | $3,307 | +7.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,910 | $2,049 | $2,501 | $3,013 | $3,316 | +0.7% |
| FY 2026 | $2,053 | $2,189 | $2,683 | $3,216 | $3,552 | +7.3% |
| FY 2027In effect | $2,146 | $2,245 | $2,761 | $3,290 | $3,629 | +2.9% |
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 Essex, that runs from $2,146 for a studio up to $3,629 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Essex in with 3 other counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro, Middlesex County, Suffolk County, Norfolk County among them, and every one of them gets $2,761 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Essex ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% above the state median of $2,273 and about 160% above the national median county at $1,063. About 813,054 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,080 in 01834 (Groveland) and $3,420 in 01940 (Lynnfield), with the 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01810 | Andover | $3,070 | +11.2% |
| 01812 | Andover | $2,761County rate | — |
| 01830 | Haverhill | $2,320 | -16.0% |
| 01831 | Haverhill | $2,470 | -10.5% |
| 01832 | Haverhill | $2,300 | -16.7% |
| 01833 | Georgetown | $3,010 | +9.0% |
| 01834 | Groveland | $2,080 | -24.7% |
| 01835 | Haverhill | $2,410 | -12.7% |
| 01840 | Lawrence | $2,120 | -23.2% |
| 01841 | Lawrence | $2,170 | -21.4% |
| 01842 | Lawrence | $2,470 | -10.5% |
| 01843 | Lawrence | $2,490 | -9.8% |
| 01844 | Methuen | $2,450 | -11.3% |
| 01845 | North Andover | $3,010 | +9.0% |
| 01860 | Merrimac | $2,310 | -16.3% |
| 01885 | West Boxford | $2,470 | -10.5% |
| 01899 | Andover | $2,761County rate | — |
| 01901 | Lynn | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01902 | Lynn | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01903 | Lynn | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01904 | Lynn | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01905 | Lynn | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01906 | Saugus | $3,010 | +9.0% |
| 01907 | Swampscott | $3,080 | +11.6% |
| 01908 | Nahant | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01910 | Lynn | $2,761County rate | — |
| 01913 | Amesbury | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01915 | Beverly | $2,800 | +1.4% |
| 01921 | Boxford | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01922 | Byfield | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01923 | Danvers | $2,740 | -0.8% |
| 01929 | Essex | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01930 | Gloucester | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01931 | Gloucester | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01936 | Hamilton | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01937 | Hathorne | $2,740 | -0.8% |
| 01938 | Ipswich | $2,650 | -4.0% |
| 01940 | Lynnfield | $3,420 | +23.9% |
| 01944 | Manchester | $2,660 | -3.7% |
| 01945 | Marblehead | $2,650 | -4.0% |
Counties sharing the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,761 two-bedroom figure as Essex.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Essex.
Middlesex County
21 mi · 1,638,365 people
$2,884
+4%
Suffolk County
21 mi · 785,121 people
$3,008
+9%
Norfolk County
32 mi · 730,082 people
$3,004
+9%
Plymouth County
44 mi · 535,075 people
$2,713
-2%
Worcester County
51 mi · 867,788 people
$2,057
-25%
Bristol County
59 mi · 582,270 people
$1,928
-30%
Barnstable County
73 mi · 231,668 people
$2,488
-10%
Franklin County
83 mi · 70,944 people
$1,882
-32%
Questions people ask
$2,761 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $2,146 for a studio, $2,245 for one bedroom, $3,290 for three and $3,629 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 Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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