HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hampden County, Massachusetts (FY 2026)
$1,734 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hampden County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hampden is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,734
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,561 to $1,907
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$69,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
13th of 14
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hampden moves to $1,800. 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 Hampden actually rent for?
Search any address in Hampden 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 | $1,219 | $1,097 to $1,341 | $48,760 | $23.44/hr | +16.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,382 | $1,244 to $1,520 | $55,280 | $26.58/hr | +14.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,734 | $1,561 to $1,907 | $69,360 | $33.35/hr | +15.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,127 | $1,914 to $2,340 | $85,080 | $40.90/hr | +16.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,296 | $2,066 to $2,526 | $91,840 | $44.15/hr | +12.7% |
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 | $2,640 | $2,376 to $2,904 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,985 | $2,687 to $3,284 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,329 | $2,996 to $3,662 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,674 | $3,307 to $4,041 |
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 Hampden, that runs from $1,219 for a studio up to $2,296 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Hampden is its own HUD metro area (Springfield, MA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Hampden ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 24% below the state median of $2,283 and about 70% above the national median county at $1,018. About 462,853 people live here, 8th in the state.
Rates by town
Massachusetts publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 23 towns in Hampden County share the same rate for FY 2026, so the county number is the town number wherever you are.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield city | 154,751 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Chicopee city | 55,213 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Westfield city | 40,673 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Holyoke city | 37,949 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| West Springfield Town city | 28,635 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Agawam Town city | 28,510 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Ludlow town | 20,846 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| East Longmeadow town | 16,368 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Longmeadow town | 15,724 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Wilbraham town | 14,551 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Palmer Town city | 12,372 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Southwick town | 9,222 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Monson town | 8,126 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Hampden town | 4,937 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Brimfield town | 3,694 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Holland town | 2,576 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Wales town | 1,927 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Granville town | 1,680 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Chester town | 1,322 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Russell town | 1,264 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Blandford town | 1,165 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Montgomery town | 873 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
| Tolland town | 475 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,350 in 01010 (Brimfield) and $2,600 in 01034 (Granville), with the 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01001 | Agawam | $1,910 | +10.1% |
| 01008 | Blandford | $1,510 | -12.9% |
| 01009 | Bondsville | $1,830 | +5.5% |
| 01010 | Brimfield | $1,350 | -22.1% |
| 01011 | Chester | $1,510 | -12.9% |
| 01013 | Chicopee | $1,600 | -7.7% |
| 01014 | Chicopee | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01020 | Chicopee | $1,730 | -0.2% |
| 01021 | Chicopee | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01022 | Chicopee | $2,460 | +41.9% |
| 01028 | East Longmeadow | $1,800 | +3.8% |
| 01030 | Feeding Hills | $1,740 | +0.3% |
| 01034 | Granville | $2,600 | +49.9% |
| 01036 | Hampden | $1,680 | -3.1% |
| 01040 | Holyoke | $1,720 | -0.8% |
| 01041 | Holyoke | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01056 | Ludlow | $1,740 | +0.3% |
| 01057 | Monson | $1,440 | -17.0% |
| 01069 | Palmer | $1,510 | -12.9% |
| 01071 | Russell | $1,400 | -19.3% |
| 01077 | Southwick | $1,810 | +4.4% |
| 01079 | Thorndike | $1,510 | -12.9% |
| 01080 | Three Rivers | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01081 | Wales | $1,960 | +13.0% |
| 01085 | Westfield | $1,640 | -5.4% |
| 01086 | Westfield | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01089 | West Springfield | $1,560 | -10.0% |
| 01090 | West Springfield | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01095 | Wilbraham | $1,730 | -0.2% |
| 01097 | Woronoco | $1,500 | -13.5% |
| 01101 | Springfield | $1,710 | -1.4% |
| 01102 | Springfield | $1,734County rate | — |
| 01103 | Springfield | $2,050 | +18.2% |
| 01104 | Springfield | $1,820 | +5.0% |
| 01105 | Springfield | $1,550 | -10.6% |
| 01106 | Longmeadow | $2,600 | +49.9% |
| 01107 | Springfield | $1,790 | +3.2% |
| 01108 | Springfield | $1,750 | +0.9% |
| 01109 | Springfield | $1,780 | +2.7% |
| 01111 | Springfield | $1,710 | -1.4% |
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 Hampden somewhere between $1,561 and $1,907. 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.
$1,734 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $69,360 a year. Put another way, $33 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% ($1,561) | HAP at 100% ($1,734) | HAP at 110% ($1,907) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $811 | $984 | $1,157 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $361 | $534 | $707 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 16% from FY 2025 ($1,496) to FY 2026 ($1,734). Since FY 2020 it's up 56% in total, about 7.6% 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 | $737 | $875 | $1,115 | $1,389 | $1,611 | — |
| FY 2021 | $745 | $891 | $1,129 | $1,404 | $1,648 | +1.3% |
| FY 2022 | $727 | $874 | $1,094 | $1,353 | $1,623 | -3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $818 | $987 | $1,223 | $1,497 | $1,799 | +11.8% |
| FY 2024 | $934 | $1,115 | $1,375 | $1,669 | $1,954 | +12.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,044 | $1,205 | $1,496 | $1,823 | $2,037 | +8.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,219 | $1,382 | $1,734 | $2,127 | $2,296 | +15.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,264 | $1,421 | $1,800 | $2,241 | $2,370 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
Hampshire County
$2,00416 mi · pop 156,595
Franklin County
$1,86631 mi · pop 70,922
Berkshire County
$1,65736 mi · pop 128,047
Worcester County
$1,99739 mi · pop 861,664
Middlesex County
$2,82569 mi · pop 1,622,896
Norfolk County
$2,93772 mi · pop 724,540
Bristol County
$1,79879 mi · pop 578,436
Suffolk County
$2,94179 mi · pop 782,172
Questions people ask
$1,734 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,219 for a studio, $1,382 for one bedroom, $2,127 for three and $2,296 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 Hampden actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hampden for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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