Essex County fair market rent FY 2027Massachusetts, HUD studio to 4 bedrooms
HUD sets Fair Market Rents for Essex County, Massachusetts by town, in 2 HUD areas. In the most populous, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area, the FY 2027 two-bedroom FMR is $3,008 a month ($2,440 for a studio to $3,953 for four bedrooms). The FY 2026 two-bedroom FMR was $2,941 (+2.3%).
Essex County Fair Market Rents by bedrooms
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area: Amesbury, Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield and Wenham
| Bedrooms | FY 2027 | FY 2026 | Change | Payment standard basic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,440 | $2,359 | +3.4% | $2,196 to $2,684 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,518 | $2,476 | +1.7% | $2,266 to $2,769 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,008 | $2,941 | +2.3% | $2,707 to $3,308 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,584 | $3,526 | +1.6% | $3,225 to $3,942 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,953 | $3,894 | +1.5% | $3,557 to $4,348 |
Lawrence, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area: Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, North Andover and West Newbury
| Bedrooms | FY 2027 | FY 2026 | Change | Payment standard basic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,677 | $1,565 | +7.2% | $1,509 to $1,844 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,809 | $1,730 | +4.6% | $1,628 to $1,989 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,367 | $2,270 | +4.3% | $2,130 to $2,603 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,820 | $2,722 | +3.6% | $2,538 to $3,102 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,111 | $3,006 | +3.5% | $2,799 to $3,422 |
Monthly gross rent (rent plus tenant-paid utilities except telephone). FY 2027 runs October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The payment standard basic range is 90 to 110 percent of the FMR (24 CFR 982.503(c)); the local housing agency sets the actual payment standard.
How Essex County compares
Essex County's two-bedroom FMR of $3,008 is the 2nd highest of 14 counties in Massachusetts, where the county median is $2,266 and the range $1,704 to $3,583. Across all 3,144 US counties the median two-bedroom FMR is $1,071; Essex County ranks 10th.
Small Area FMRs and ZIP codes
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code for metropolitan areas. For the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area it lists 259 ZIP codes, with two-bedroom Small Area FMRs from $2,650 to $4,510. This area is not one of HUD's designated Small Area FMR areas, so agencies use the area-wide FMR above unless they opt in.
Look up any ZIP code: fair market rent by ZIP code.
Fair market rents in nearby counties
All Massachusetts counties · Fair market rents in every state
More for Essex County
- Essex County loan limitsThis year's FHFA conforming, FHA and VA county loan limits for 1 to 4 unit homes, from FHFA's and HUD's official files.
- Essex County property tax rateEffective property tax rate from Census survey data: median taxes paid against median home value, ranked in the state.
- Title insurance premium calculatorOwner's and lender's policy premiums from the official rate schedules of Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York.
- Seller net sheet and closing costsNet proceeds after the payoff, commission, transfer taxes, title premiums and recording fees.
- Real estate transfer tax calculatorDeed transfer taxes for New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, the Carolinas, Arkansas, Texas and Arizona.
- Flood zone lookupThe FEMA flood zone mapped at any US address. A screening check, not an official flood zone determination.
Check a Essex County property
HeritageDeed does not search title records in Essex County yet; the counties it covers are listed under title search coverage, where a title report is $49 per report. For any US address, the Environmental Records Report lists Superfund, hazardous waste, leaking tank and brownfield sites nearby, with the flood zone.
Questions about Essex County fair market rent
What is the fair market rent in Essex County for FY 2027?
$2,440 for a studio, $2,518 for one bedroom, $3,008 for two, $3,584 for three and $3,953 for four bedrooms a month in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area, the most populous of the county's HUD areas. FY 2027 runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
What was the fair market rent in Essex County for FY 2026?
$2,359 for a studio, $2,476 for one bedroom, $2,941 for two, $3,526 for three and $3,894 for four bedrooms (FY 2026, October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026).
What is the Section 8 voucher amount for a 2 bedroom in Essex County?
The housing agency sets a payment standard, usually within the basic range of 90 to 110 percent of the FMR: $2,707 to $3,308 for two bedrooms here. The voucher then pays the lower of the payment standard or the gross rent, minus the family's total tenant payment, usually 30 percent of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.505 and 5.628). The local housing agency publishes its own schedule.
Does fair market rent include utilities?
Yes. HUD's rule defines Fair Market Rents as "estimates of rent plus the cost of utilities, except telephone", set at the 40th percentile of rents for standard-quality units rented by recent movers (24 CFR 888.113).
Is Essex County's fair market rent high for Massachusetts?
$3,008 for two bedrooms ranks 2nd of 14 counties in Massachusetts; the state's county median is $2,266 (range $1,704 to $3,583) and the national county median is $1,071.
Legal references
- 24 CFR 888.113, Fair market rents for existing housing: methodology
- 24 CFR 982.503, Voucher tenancy: payment standard amount and schedule
- 24 CFR 982.505, How to calculate housing assistance payment
JSON: /api/data/fair-market-rent/massachusetts/essex-county. Fair Market Rents are HUD program figures, not an appraisal of any unit's rent.