HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (FY 2026)
$2,058 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hillsborough County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hillsborough is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,058
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,852 to $2,264
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$82,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Hampshire
3rd of 10
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hillsborough moves to $2,179. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hillsborough actually rent for?
Search any address in Hillsborough 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 | $1,428 | $1,285 to $1,571 | $57,120 | $27.46/hr | +2.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,596 | $1,436 to $1,756 | $63,840 | $30.69/hr | +4.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,058 | $1,852 to $2,264 | $82,320 | $39.58/hr | +2.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,611 | $2,350 to $2,872 | $104,440 | $50.21/hr | +1.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,869 | $2,582 to $3,156 | $114,760 | $55.17/hr | +2.9% |
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 | $3,299 | $2,969 to $3,629 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,730 | $3,357 to $4,103 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,160 | $3,744 to $4,576 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,590 | $4,131 to $5,049 |
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 Hillsborough, that runs from $1,428 for a studio up to $2,869 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Hillsborough is its own HUD metro area (Manchester, NH), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among New Hampshire's 10 counties, Hillsborough ranks 3rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,918 and about 102% above the national median county at $1,018. About 424,732 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by town
New Hampshire publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. The 31 towns in Hillsborough County don't all get the same number. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,698 to $2,127 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester city | 115,415 | $1,404 | $1,552 | $2,037 | $2,442 | $2,697 |
| Nashua cityHighest | 91,131 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Merrimack town | 27,656 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Hudson town | 25,476 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Bedford town | 23,580 | $1,404 | $1,552 | $2,037 | $2,442 | $2,697 |
| Goffstown town | 18,526 | $1,404 | $1,552 | $2,037 | $2,442 | $2,697 |
| Milford town | 16,258 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Pelham town | 14,333 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Amherst town | 11,821 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Weare town | 9,141 | $1,404 | $1,552 | $2,037 | $2,442 | $2,697 |
| Hollis town | 8,530 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Litchfield town | 8,495 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Peterborough townLowest | 6,456 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| New Boston town | 6,131 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Hillsborough town | 5,967 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Brookline town | 5,697 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| New Ipswich town | 5,274 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Wilton town | 3,935 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Antrim town | 2,657 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Mont Vernon town | 2,619 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Greenville town | 2,219 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Deering town | 1,843 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Greenfield town | 1,816 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Hancock town | 1,757 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Lyndeborough town | 1,699 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Bennington town | 1,494 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Mason town | 1,443 | $1,467 | $1,673 | $2,127 | $2,822 | $3,001 |
| Temple town | 1,367 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Francestown town | 1,347 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Sharon town | 440 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
| Windsor town | 209 | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,698 | $2,036 | $2,842 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,530 in 03047 (Greenfield) and $3,190 in 03033 (Brookline), with the 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03031 | Amherst | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03033 | Brookline | $3,190 | +55.0% |
| 03043 | Francestown | $1,810 | -12.1% |
| 03045 | Goffstown | $2,140 | +4.0% |
| 03047 | Greenfield | $1,530 | -25.7% |
| 03048 | Greenville | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03049 | Hollis | $2,280 | +10.8% |
| 03051 | Hudson | $2,100 | +2.0% |
| 03052 | Litchfield | $2,670 | +29.7% |
| 03054 | Merrimack | $2,360 | +14.7% |
| 03055 | Milford | $2,030 | -1.4% |
| 03057 | Mont Vernon | $2,390 | +16.1% |
| 03060 | Nashua | $2,070 | +0.6% |
| 03061 | Nashua | $1,990 | -3.3% |
| 03062 | Nashua | $2,240 | +8.8% |
| 03063 | Nashua | $2,330 | +13.2% |
| 03064 | Nashua | $1,970 | -4.3% |
| 03070 | New Boston | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03071 | New Ipswich | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03076 | Pelham | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03082 | Lyndeborough | $2,420 | +17.6% |
| 03084 | Temple | $1,960 | -4.8% |
| 03086 | Wilton | $1,920 | -6.7% |
| 03101 | Manchester | $2,740 | +33.1% |
| 03102 | Manchester | $1,970 | -4.3% |
| 03103 | Manchester | $1,820 | -11.6% |
| 03104 | Manchester | $2,020 | -1.8% |
| 03105 | Manchester | $2,130 | +3.5% |
| 03108 | Manchester | $2,130 | +3.5% |
| 03109 | Manchester | $2,300 | +11.8% |
| 03110 | Bedford | $2,880 | +39.9% |
| 03111 | Manchester | $2,130 | +3.5% |
| 03244 | Hillsborough | $1,700 | -17.4% |
| 03281 | Weare | $2,080 | +1.1% |
| 03440 | Antrim | $1,550 | -24.7% |
| 03442 | Bennington | $1,640 | -20.3% |
| 03449 | Hancock | $1,790 | -13.0% |
| 03458 | Peterborough | $1,830 | -11.1% |
| 03468 | West Peterborough | $2,110 | +2.5% |
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 Hillsborough somewhere between $1,852 and $2,264. 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.
$2,058 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $82,320 a year. Put another way, $40 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% ($1,852) | HAP at 100% ($2,058) | HAP at 110% ($2,264) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,102 | $1,308 | $1,514 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $652 | $858 | $1,064 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($2,012) to FY 2026 ($2,058). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 8.3% 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 | $841 | $989 | $1,278 | $1,671 | $1,764 | — |
| FY 2021 | $943 | $1,087 | $1,411 | $1,825 | $1,951 | +10.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,030 | $1,165 | $1,517 | $1,918 | $2,081 | +7.5% |
| FY 2023 | $1,160 | $1,301 | $1,706 | $2,145 | $2,365 | +12.5% |
| FY 2024 | $1,259 | $1,404 | $1,844 | $2,323 | $2,541 | +8.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,389 | $1,534 | $2,012 | $2,566 | $2,789 | +9.1% |
| FY 2026 | $1,428 | $1,596 | $2,058 | $2,611 | $2,869 | +2.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,518 | $1,715 | $2,179 | $2,719 | $3,036 | +5.9% |
Nearby counties
Merrimack County
$1,97429 mi · pop 155,018
Rockingham County
$2,25630 mi · pop 317,163
Cheshire County
$1,92633 mi · pop 76,945
Belknap County
$1,80043 mi · pop 64,300
Strafford County
$2,19443 mi · pop 131,743
Sullivan County
$1,74744 mi · pop 43,529
Carroll County
$1,70968 mi · pop 51,259
Grafton County
$1,90970 mi · pop 91,759
Questions people ask
$2,058 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,428 for a studio, $1,596 for one bedroom, $2,611 for three and $2,869 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 Hillsborough actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hillsborough for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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