HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Middlesex County, Massachusetts (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Middlesex County is $2,825 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,825
+3.9% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$2,543–$3,108
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$113,000
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Massachusetts
4th of 14
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Middlesex moves to $2,884. That's up 2%. 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 | $2,214 | $1,993–$2,435 | $88,560 | $42.58/hr | +4.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,341 | $2,107–$2,575 | $93,640 | $45.02/hr | +3.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,825 | $2,543–$3,108 | $113,000 | $54.33/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,387 | $3,048–$3,726 | $135,480 | $65.13/hr | +3.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,740 | $3,366–$4,114 | $149,600 | $71.92/hr | +3.7% |
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 | $4,301 | $3,871–$4,731 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,862 | $4,376–$5,348 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,423 | $4,881–$5,965 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,984 | $5,386–$6,582 |
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 54 towns in Middlesex County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $2,351 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge cityHighest | 117,794 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Lowell cityLowest | 114,799 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Newton city | 88,504 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Somerville city | 80,549 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Framingham city | 72,013 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Malden city | 65,509 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Waltham city | 64,723 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Medford city | 59,062 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Everett city | 49,236 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Arlington town | 46,015 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Billerica town | 41,700 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Marlborough city | 41,398 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Woburn city | 41,205 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Natick town | 36,627 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Chelmsford town | 36,220 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Watertown city | 35,270 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Lexington town | 34,085 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Dracut town | 32,356 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Tewksbury town | 31,168 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Melrose city | 29,488 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Wakefield town | 27,284 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Belmont town | 27,009 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Burlington town | 26,223 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Reading town | 25,448 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Westford town | 24,584 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Acton town | 23,961 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Wilmington town | 23,195 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Stoneham town | 22,986 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Winchester town | 22,862 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Hudson town | 19,959 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Sudbury town | 19,067 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Hopkinton town | 19,050 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Ashland town | 18,694 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Concord town | 18,226 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| North Reading town | 15,634 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Holliston town | 14,964 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Bedford town | 14,343 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Wayland town | 13,826 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Tyngsborough town | 12,424 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Pepperell town | 11,656 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Weston town | 11,443 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Groton town | 11,265 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Maynard town | 10,663 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Littleton town | 10,150 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Townsend town | 9,052 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Ayer town | 8,491 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Stow town | 7,109 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Shirley town | 7,017 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Lincoln town | 6,946 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Boxborough town | 5,468 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Carlisle town | 5,209 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Sherborn town | 4,404 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
| Dunstable town | 3,375 | $1,621 | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 | $3,113 |
| Ashby town | 3,188 | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | $3,894 |
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Middlesex actually rent for?
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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 Middlesex somewhere between $2,543 and $3,108. 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.
$2,825 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $113,000 a year. Put another way, $54 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%$2,543 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,825 | Voucher pays at 110%$3,108 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,793 | $2,075 | $2,358 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,343 | $1,625 | $1,908 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($2,720) to FY 2026 ($2,825). Since FY 2020 it's up 31% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $1,586 | $1,759 | $2,157 | $2,688 | $2,922 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,608 | $1,779 | $2,180 | $2,711 | $2,956 | +1.1% |
| FY 2022 | $1,691 | $1,862 | $2,275 | $2,813 | $3,085 | +4.4% |
| FY 2023 | $1,890 | $2,059 | $2,501 | $3,044 | $3,360 | +9.9% |
| FY 2024 | $2,046 | $2,208 | $2,663 | $3,220 | $3,547 | +6.5% |
| FY 2025 | $2,120 | $2,259 | $2,720 | $3,277 | $3,606 | +2.1% |
| FY 2026In effect | $2,214 | $2,341 | $2,825 | $3,387 | $3,740 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $2,285 | $2,382 | $2,884 | $3,444 | $3,790 | +2.1% |
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 Middlesex, that runs from $2,214 for a studio up to $3,740 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 Middlesex in with 3 other counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro, Essex County, Suffolk County, Norfolk County among them, and every one of them gets $2,825 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, Middlesex ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 24% above the state median of $2,283 and about 178% above the national median county at $1,018. About 1,622,896 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,160 in 01852 (Lowell) and $4,410 in 01731 (Hanscom Afb), with the 96 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01431 | Ashby | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01432 | Ayer | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01450 | Groton | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01460 | Littleton | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01463 | Pepperell | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01464 | Shirley | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01469 | Townsend | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01470 | Groton | $2,825County rate | — |
| 01471 | Groton | $2,825County rate | — |
| 01472 | West Groton | $2,960 | +4.8% |
| 01474 | West Townsend | $3,270 | +15.8% |
| 01701 | Framingham | $2,750 | -2.7% |
| 01702 | Framingham | $2,650 | -6.2% |
| 01703 | Framingham | $2,980 | +5.5% |
| 01704 | Framingham | $2,980 | +5.5% |
| 01705 | Framingham | $2,825County rate | — |
| 01718 | Acton | $2,620 | -7.3% |
| 01719 | Boxborough | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01720 | Acton | $2,620 | -7.3% |
| 01721 | Ashland | $3,270 | +15.8% |
| 01730 | Bedford | $3,330 | +17.9% |
| 01731 | Hanscom Afb | $4,410 | +56.1% |
| 01741 | Carlisle | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01742 | Concord | $3,500 | +23.9% |
| 01746 | Holliston | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01748 | Hopkinton | $3,220 | +14.0% |
| 01749 | Hudson | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01752 | Marlborough | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01754 | Maynard | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01760 | Natick | $2,910 | +3.0% |
| 01770 | Sherborn | $2,920 | +3.4% |
| 01773 | Lincoln | $2,920 | +3.4% |
| 01775 | Stow | $2,560 | -9.4% |
| 01776 | Sudbury | $3,130 | +10.8% |
| 01778 | Wayland | $2,990 | +5.8% |
| 01784 | Woodville | $2,980 | +5.5% |
| 01801 | Woburn | $3,150 | +11.5% |
| 01803 | Burlington | $3,460 | +22.5% |
| 01805 | Burlington | $2,825County rate | — |
| 01813 | Woburn | $2,825County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,825 two-bedroom figure as Middlesex.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Middlesex.
Suffolk County
15 mi · 782,172 people
$2,941
+4%
Norfolk County
19 mi · 724,540 people
$2,937
+4%
Essex County
21 mi · 807,258 people
$2,683
-5%
Worcester County
30 mi · 861,664 people
$1,997
-29%
Plymouth County
39 mi · 531,889 people
$2,629
-7%
Bristol County
47 mi · 578,436 people
$1,798
-36%
Franklin County
67 mi · 70,922 people
$1,866
-34%
Hampden County
69 mi · 462,853 people
$1,734
-39%
Questions people ask
$2,825 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,214 for a studio, $2,341 for one bedroom, $3,387 for three and $3,740 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 Middlesex actually go for?
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