HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Belknap County, New Hampshire (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Belknap County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,620 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Belknap keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,620
-10.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,458–$1,782
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$64,800
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New Hampshire
7th of 10
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 | $1,117 | $1,005–$1,229 | $44,680 | $21.48/hr | -10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,283 | $1,155–$1,411 | $51,320 | $24.67/hr | -10.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,620 | $1,458–$1,782 | $64,800 | $31.15/hr | -10.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,136 | $1,922–$2,350 | $85,440 | $41.08/hr | -3.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,409 | $2,168–$2,650 | $96,360 | $46.33/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $2,770 | $2,493–$3,047 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,132 | $2,819–$3,445 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,493 | $3,144–$3,842 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,854 | $3,469–$4,239 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Belknap actually rent for?
Search any address in Belknap 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 Belknap somewhere between $1,458 and $1,782. 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.
$1,620 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $64,800 a year. Put another way, $31 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%$1,458 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,620 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,782 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $708 | $870 | $1,032 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $258 | $420 | $582 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2026 ($1,800) to FY 2027 ($1,620). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 6.8% a year. The New Hampshire median moved down 10% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $691 | $794 | $1,020 | $1,377 | $1,382 | — |
| FY 2021 | $745 | $829 | $1,057 | $1,428 | $1,433 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $793 | $884 | $1,128 | $1,550 | $1,556 | +6.7% |
| FY 2023 | $926 | $1,015 | $1,292 | $1,739 | $1,912 | +14.5% |
| FY 2024 | $906 | $1,058 | $1,329 | $1,710 | $2,019 | +2.9% |
| FY 2025 | $1,019 | $1,182 | $1,479 | $1,864 | $2,221 | +11.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,241 | $1,425 | $1,800 | $2,219 | $2,676 | +21.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 | -10.0% |
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 Belknap, that runs from $1,117 for a studio up to $2,409 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Belknap sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Tilton included.
Among New Hampshire's 10 counties, Belknap ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,727 and about 52% above the national median county at $1,063. About 64,659 people live here, 7th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,620 in 03246 (Laconia) and $1,980 in 03226 (Center Harbor), with the 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03218 | Barnstead | $1,950 | +20.4% |
| 03220 | Belmont | $1,780 | +9.9% |
| 03225 | Center Barnstead | $1,690 | +4.3% |
| 03226 | Center Harbor | $1,980 | +22.2% |
| 03237 | Gilmanton | $1,780 | +9.9% |
| 03246 | Laconia | $1,620 | 0.0% |
| 03247 | Laconia | $1,620County rate | — |
| 03249 | Gilford | $1,740 | +7.4% |
| 03252 | Lochmere | $1,620 | 0.0% |
| 03253 | Meredith | $1,720 | +6.2% |
| 03256 | New Hampton | $1,680 | +3.7% |
| 03269 | Sanbornton | $1,700 | +4.9% |
| 03276 | Tilton | $1,780 | +9.9% |
| 03289 | Winnisquam | $1,620 | 0.0% |
| 03298 | Tilton | $1,620County rate | — |
| 03299 | Tilton | $1,620County rate | — |
| 03809 | Alton | $1,980 | +22.2% |
| 03810 | Alton Bay | $1,620 | 0.0% |
| 03837 | Gilmanton Iron Works | $1,620 | 0.0% |
Rates by town
New Hampshire publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 11 towns in Belknap County share the same rate for FY 2027, so the county number is the town number wherever you are.
| Town | Population | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laconia city | 17,085 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Gilford town | 7,830 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Belmont town | 7,392 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Meredith town | 6,758 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Alton town | 5,994 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Barnstead town | 4,994 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Tilton town | 4,063 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Gilmanton town | 4,026 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Sanbornton town | 3,053 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| New Hampton town | 2,509 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
| Center Harbor town | 955 | $1,117 | $1,283 | $1,620 | $2,136 | $2,409 |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Belknap.
Merrimack County
20 mi · 155,967 people
$1,800
+11%
Carroll County
25 mi · 51,804 people
$1,566
-3%
Strafford County
27 mi · 132,575 people
$2,093
+29%
Grafton County
35 mi · 92,120 people
$1,719
+6%
Sullivan County
40 mi · 43,715 people
$1,596
-1%
Rockingham County
42 mi · 319,082 people
$2,289
+41%
Hillsborough County
43 mi · 426,378 people
$2,179
+35%
Cheshire County
58 mi · 77,297 people
$1,734
+7%
Questions people ask
$1,620 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,117 for a studio, $1,283 for one bedroom, $2,136 for three and $2,409 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 Belknap actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Belknap for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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