HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Bennington County, Vermont (FY 2026)
$1,297 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Bennington County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Bennington is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,297
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,167 to $1,427
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$51,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Vermont
11th of 14
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Bennington moves to $1,503. That's up 16%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Bennington actually rent for?
Search any address in Bennington 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 | $1,020 | $918 to $1,122 | $40,800 | $19.62/hr | +9.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,142 | $1,028 to $1,256 | $45,680 | $21.96/hr | +6.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,297 | $1,167 to $1,427 | $51,880 | $24.94/hr | +5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,804 | $1,624 to $1,984 | $72,160 | $34.69/hr | +5.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,159 | $1,943 to $2,375 | $86,360 | $41.52/hr | +8.7% |
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 | $2,483 | $2,235 to $2,731 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,807 | $2,526 to $3,088 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,131 | $2,818 to $3,444 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,454 | $3,109 to $3,799 |
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 Bennington, that runs from $1,020 for a studio up to $2,159 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Bennington 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, Peru included.
Among Vermont's 14 counties, Bennington ranks 11th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $1,362 and about 27% above the national median county at $1,018. About 37,312 people live here, 8th in the state.
Rates by town
Vermont publishes Fair Market Rents town by town instead of by county. All 17 towns in Bennington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington town | 15,313 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Manchester town | 4,483 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Shaftsbury town | 3,599 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Pownal town | 3,265 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Arlington town | 2,773 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Dorset town | 1,969 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Sunderland town | 1,312 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Stamford town | 918 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Readsboro town | 776 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Winhall town | 768 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Rupert town | 578 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Sandgate town | 460 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Peru town | 434 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Woodford town | 275 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Landgrove town | 238 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Searsburg town | 151 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
| Glastenbury town | 0 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 |
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,140 in 05253 (East Dorset) and $1,660 in 05252 (East Arlington), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05152 | Peru | $1,440 | +11.0% |
| 05201 | Bennington | $1,310 | +1.0% |
| 05250 | Arlington | $1,490 | +14.9% |
| 05251 | Dorset | $1,300 | +0.2% |
| 05252 | East Arlington | $1,660 | +28.0% |
| 05253 | East Dorset | $1,140 | -12.1% |
| 05254 | Manchester | $1,160 | -10.6% |
| 05255 | Manchester Center | $1,160 | -10.6% |
| 05257 | North Bennington | $1,570 | +21.0% |
| 05260 | North Pownal | $1,420 | +9.5% |
| 05261 | Pownal | $1,650 | +27.2% |
| 05262 | Shaftsbury | $1,480 | +14.1% |
| 05340 | Bondville | $1,320 | +1.8% |
| 05350 | Readsboro | $1,440 | +11.0% |
| 05352 | Stamford | $1,560 | +20.3% |
| 05768 | Rupert | $1,610 | +24.1% |
| 05776 | West Rupert | $1,460 | +12.6% |
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 Bennington somewhere between $1,167 and $1,427. 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.
$1,297 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,880 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,167) | HAP at 100% ($1,297) | HAP at 110% ($1,427) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $417 | $547 | $677 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $97 | $227 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,225) to FY 2026 ($1,297). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.6% a year. The Vermont median moved up 6% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $753 | $821 | $935 | $1,262 | $1,267 | — |
| FY 2021 | $710 | $819 | $940 | $1,270 | $1,275 | +0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $763 | $822 | $1,018 | $1,337 | $1,380 | +8.3% |
| FY 2023 | $849 | $886 | $1,120 | $1,455 | $1,578 | +10.0% |
| FY 2024 | $936 | $1,006 | $1,241 | $1,642 | $1,929 | +10.8% |
| FY 2025 | $936 | $1,069 | $1,225 | $1,709 | $1,986 | -1.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,020 | $1,142 | $1,297 | $1,804 | $2,159 | +5.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,188 | $1,343 | $1,503 | $2,081 | $2,512 | +15.9% |
Nearby counties
Windham County
$1,42322 mi · pop 45,913
Rutland County
$1,34537 mi · pop 60,484
Windsor County
$1,36247 mi · pop 57,968
Addison County
$1,43868 mi · pop 37,497
Orange County
$1,36274 mi · pop 29,594
Washington County
$1,48288 mi · pop 59,958
Chittenden County
$2,14098 mi · pop 168,831
Caledonia County
$1,159109 mi · pop 30,425
Questions people ask
$1,297 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,020 for a studio, $1,142 for one bedroom, $1,804 for three and $2,159 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 Bennington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bennington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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