HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, Massachusetts (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Essex County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $2,683 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Essex keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,683
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,415 to $2,951
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$107,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
5th of 14
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Essex moves to $2,761. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,053 | $1,848 to $2,258 | $82,120 | $39.48/hr | +7.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,189 | $1,970 to $2,408 | $87,560 | $42.10/hr | +6.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,683 | $2,415 to $2,951 | $107,320 | $51.60/hr | +7.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,216 | $2,894 to $3,538 | $128,640 | $61.85/hr | +6.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,552 | $3,197 to $3,907 | $142,080 | $68.31/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 | $4,085 | $3,677 to $4,494 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,618 | $4,156 to $5,080 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,150 | $4,635 to $5,665 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,683 | $5,115 to $6,251 |
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 Essex, that runs from $2,053 for a studio up to $3,552 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 $2,683 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 18% above the state median of $2,283 and about 164% above the national median county at $1,018. About 807,258 people live here, 3rd in the state.
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 $2,270 to $2,941 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 | 100,905 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Lawrence cityLowest | 88,297 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Haverhill city | 67,387 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Peabody city | 54,180 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Methuen city | 53,043 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Salem city | 44,241 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Beverly city | 42,408 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Andover town | 36,465 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| North Andover town | 31,024 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Gloucester city | 29,862 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Saugus town | 28,599 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Danvers town | 27,924 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Marblehead town | 20,334 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Newburyport city | 18,444 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Amesbury Town city | 17,277 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Swampscott town | 15,209 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Ipswich town | 13,820 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Lynnfield town | 12,964 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Middleton town | 9,727 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Salisbury town | 9,217 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Georgetown town | 8,454 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Boxford town | 8,155 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Hamilton town | 7,571 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Rockport town | 6,977 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Groveland town | 6,747 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Newbury town | 6,729 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Merrimac town | 6,707 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Topsfield town | 6,535 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Rowley town | 6,214 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea town | 5,368 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Wenham town | 4,930 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| West Newbury town | 4,536 | $1,565 | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 | $3,006 |
| Essex town | 3,680 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Nahant town | 3,328 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
Counties sharing the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,010 in 01840 (Lawrence) and $3,250 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 | $2,940 | +9.6% |
| 01812 | Andover | $2,683County rate | — |
| 01830 | Haverhill | $2,210 | -17.6% |
| 01831 | Haverhill | $2,370 | -11.7% |
| 01832 | Haverhill | $2,240 | -16.5% |
| 01833 | Georgetown | $3,000 | +11.8% |
| 01834 | Groveland | $2,090 | -22.1% |
| 01835 | Haverhill | $2,240 | -16.5% |
| 01840 | Lawrence | $2,010 | -25.1% |
| 01841 | Lawrence | $2,010 | -25.1% |
| 01842 | Lawrence | $2,370 | -11.7% |
| 01843 | Lawrence | $2,390 | -10.9% |
| 01844 | Methuen | $2,310 | -13.9% |
| 01845 | North Andover | $2,990 | +11.4% |
| 01860 | Merrimac | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01885 | West Boxford | $2,370 | -11.7% |
| 01899 | Andover | $2,683County rate | — |
| 01901 | Lynn | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01902 | Lynn | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01903 | Lynn | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01904 | Lynn | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01905 | Lynn | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01906 | Saugus | $2,690 | +0.3% |
| 01907 | Swampscott | $3,090 | +15.2% |
| 01908 | Nahant | $2,590 | -3.5% |
| 01910 | Lynn | $2,683County rate | — |
| 01913 | Amesbury | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01915 | Beverly | $2,680 | -0.1% |
| 01921 | Boxford | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01922 | Byfield | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01923 | Danvers | $2,690 | +0.3% |
| 01929 | Essex | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01930 | Gloucester | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01931 | Gloucester | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01936 | Hamilton | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01937 | Hathorne | $2,690 | +0.3% |
| 01938 | Ipswich | $2,560 | -4.6% |
| 01940 | Lynnfield | $3,250 | +21.1% |
| 01944 | Manchester | $2,660 | -0.9% |
| 01945 | Marblehead | $2,560 | -4.6% |
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 $2,415 and $2,951. 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.
$2,683 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $107,320 a year. Put another way, $52 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% ($2,415) | HAP at 100% ($2,683) | HAP at 110% ($2,951) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,665 | $1,933 | $2,201 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,215 | $1,483 | $1,751 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($2,501) to FY 2026 ($2,683). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $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 2027 | $2,146 | $2,245 | $2,761 | $3,290 | $3,629 | +2.9% |
Nearby counties
Middlesex County
$2,82521 mi · pop 1,622,896
Suffolk County
$2,94121 mi · pop 782,172
Norfolk County
$2,93732 mi · pop 724,540
Plymouth County
$2,62944 mi · pop 531,889
Worcester County
$1,99751 mi · pop 861,664
Bristol County
$1,79859 mi · pop 578,436
Barnstable County
$2,42273 mi · pop 230,073
Franklin County
$1,86683 mi · pop 70,922
Questions people ask
$2,683 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,053 for a studio, $2,189 for one bedroom, $3,216 for three and $3,552 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 Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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