Fair Market Rents: Middlesex County, MA (FY2026)
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for Middlesex County set the ceiling for what Housing Choice Vouchers pay locally. FMR equals the estimated 40th-percentile gross rent — shelter plus utilities — for modest, non-luxury units.
| Unit size | FY2026 FMR | MA median* |
|---|---|---|
| Studio (0-BR) | $2,359/mo | $1,631 (+45%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $2,476/mo | $1,761 (+41%) |
| 2 Bedrooms | $2,941/mo | $2,311 (+27%) |
| 3 Bedrooms | $3,526/mo | $2,980 (+18%) |
| 4+ Bedrooms | $3,894/mo | $3,164 (+23%) |
*Median across all FMR-publishing counties in MA. Source: HUD FY2026 FMR schedule.
Using FMR as a voucher holder in Middlesex County
- Your housing authority sets payment standards per bedroom, typically 90–110% of these figures. How payment standards work →
- You may rent above the standard by paying the difference, subject to a 40%-of-income cap at lease-up.
- In high-cost pockets, ask about exception standards or Small Area FMRs by ZIP code.
Subsidized housing in Middlesex County
We track 17,550 assisted properties countywide:
| City | Properties | Assisted units |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 4 | 236 |
| Ashland | 3 | 225 |
| Ayer | 3 | 114 |
| Bedford | 3 | 197 |
| Billerica | 3 | 122 |
| Cambridge | 49 | 3,601 |
| Chelmsford | 3 | 202 |
| Everett | 4 | 251 |
| Framingham | 18 | 1,517 |
| Hudson | 3 | 282 |
| Lexington | 4 | 186 |
| Littleton | 3 | 148 |
| Lowell | 56 | 6,001 |
| Malden | 17 | 2,213 |
| Marlborough | 8 | 435 |
| Maynard | 6 | 314 |
| Medford | 6 | 735 |
| Melrose | 5 | 344 |
| Newton | 23 | 1,127 |
| Reading | 7 | 405 |