HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cheshire County, New Hampshire (FY 2026)
$1,926 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cheshire County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cheshire is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,926
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,733 to $2,119
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$77,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Hampshire
5th of 10
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cheshire moves to $1,734. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cheshire actually rent for?
Search any address in Cheshire 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 | $1,328 | $1,195 to $1,461 | $53,120 | $25.54/hr | +25.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,468 | $1,321 to $1,615 | $58,720 | $28.23/hr | +24.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,926 | $1,733 to $2,119 | $77,040 | $37.04/hr | +24.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,518 | $2,266 to $2,770 | $100,720 | $48.42/hr | +25.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,550 | $2,295 to $2,805 | $102,000 | $49.04/hr | +24.3% |
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 | $2,933 | $2,640 to $3,226 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,315 | $2,984 to $3,647 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,698 | $3,328 to $4,068 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,080 | $3,672 to $4,488 |
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 Cheshire, that runs from $1,328 for a studio up to $2,550 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cheshire 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, Keene included.
Among New Hampshire's 10 counties, Cheshire ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,918 and about 89% above the national median county at $1,018. About 76,945 people live here, 6th in the state.
Rates by town
New Hampshire publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 23 towns in Cheshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keene city | 22,923 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Swanzey town | 7,351 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Rindge town | 6,482 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Jaffrey town | 5,413 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Winchester town | 4,202 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Hinsdale town | 3,987 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Walpole town | 3,671 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Chesterfield town | 3,592 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Fitzwilliam town | 2,317 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Westmoreland town | 2,146 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Marlborough town | 2,121 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Troy town | 2,034 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Dublin town | 1,632 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Alstead town | 1,625 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Richmond town | 1,225 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Stoddard town | 1,156 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Surry town | 998 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Harrisville town | 942 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Marlow town | 848 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Gilsum town | 719 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Sullivan town | 699 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Nelson town | 586 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
| Roxbury town | 276 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,570 in 03452 (Jaffrey) and $2,450 in 03446 (Swanzey), with the 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03431 | Keene | $1,990 | +3.3% |
| 03435 | Keene | $1,926County rate | — |
| 03441 | Ashuelot | $1,710 | -11.2% |
| 03443 | Chesterfield | $1,710 | -11.2% |
| 03444 | Dublin | $1,860 | -3.4% |
| 03445 | Sullivan | $2,160 | +12.1% |
| 03446 | Swanzey | $2,450 | +27.2% |
| 03447 | Fitzwilliam | $1,680 | -12.8% |
| 03448 | Gilsum | $2,230 | +15.8% |
| 03450 | Harrisville | $2,260 | +17.3% |
| 03451 | Hinsdale | $1,700 | -11.7% |
| 03452 | Jaffrey | $1,570 | -18.5% |
| 03455 | Marlborough | $2,010 | +4.4% |
| 03456 | Marlow | $1,860 | -3.4% |
| 03457 | Nelson | $2,080 | +8.0% |
| 03461 | Rindge | $1,670 | -13.3% |
| 03462 | Spofford | $2,030 | +5.4% |
| 03464 | Stoddard | $1,960 | +1.8% |
| 03465 | Troy | $1,780 | -7.6% |
| 03466 | West Chesterfield | $1,630 | -15.4% |
| 03467 | Westmoreland | $1,820 | -5.5% |
| 03469 | West Swanzey | $1,930 | +0.2% |
| 03470 | Winchester | $1,710 | -11.2% |
| 03602 | Alstead | $1,700 | -11.7% |
| 03604 | Drewsville | $1,930 | +0.2% |
| 03608 | Walpole | $1,830 | -5.0% |
| 03609 | North Walpole | $1,620 | -15.9% |
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 Cheshire somewhere between $1,733 and $2,119. 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.
$1,926 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $77,040 a year. Put another way, $37 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% ($1,733) | HAP at 100% ($1,926) | HAP at 110% ($2,119) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $983 | $1,176 | $1,369 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $533 | $726 | $919 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 24% from FY 2025 ($1,548) to FY 2026 ($1,926). Since FY 2020 it's up 81% in total, about 10.4% a year. The New Hampshire median moved up 25% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $725 | $806 | $1,062 | $1,457 | $1,550 | — |
| FY 2021 | $769 | $823 | $1,080 | $1,546 | $1,672 | +1.7% |
| FY 2022 | $816 | $862 | $1,122 | $1,594 | $1,805 | +3.9% |
| FY 2023 | $946 | $1,011 | $1,331 | $1,860 | $1,954 | +18.6% |
| FY 2024 | $945 | $1,061 | $1,394 | $1,833 | $1,888 | +4.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,061 | $1,180 | $1,548 | $2,013 | $2,052 | +11.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,328 | $1,468 | $1,926 | $2,518 | $2,550 | +24.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,199 | $1,322 | $1,734 | $2,267 | $2,295 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Sullivan County
$1,74730 mi · pop 43,529
Hillsborough County
$2,05833 mi · pop 424,732
Merrimack County
$1,97438 mi · pop 155,018
Belknap County
$1,80058 mi · pop 64,300
Rockingham County
$2,25662 mi · pop 317,163
Grafton County
$1,90968 mi · pop 91,759
Strafford County
$2,19470 mi · pop 131,743
Carroll County
$1,70982 mi · pop 51,259
Questions people ask
$1,926 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,328 for a studio, $1,468 for one bedroom, $2,518 for three and $2,550 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 Cheshire actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cheshire for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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