FY2027 Fair Market Rent · Massachusetts
Worcester County Fair Market Rent & Income Limits
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in Worcester County, MA is $2,043 a month, down 0.6% from FY2026. The area median family income is $130,400, and a family of four counts as low income up to $105,350 a year.
Fair Market Rent by unit size
FY2027 FY2026
Fair Market Rents are gross rents: rent plus the cost of all utilities except phone, cable and internet.
Check your household
Enter your household size and total yearly income before taxes to see which HUD income category it falls in for Worcester County, MA.
Low income (80% limit)
A household of 4 earning $103,350 is under the 80% limit of $105,350 for this area. At 30% of income it could pay about $2,584 a month for rent and utilities.
This is a quick comparison with HUD's published limits, not an eligibility decision. Programs count income in their own ways and many have waiting lists; the local housing agency or property decides.
Income limits in Worcester County
HUD's FY2026 income limits for Worcester, MA are based on a median family income of $130,400. Programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing and HOME use the 30%, 50% and 80% columns; Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties use the 50% and 60% Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.
| People | Extremely low30% / poverty | Very low50% | 60% (LIHTC)MTSP | Low income80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $27,650 | $46,100 | $55,320 | $73,750 |
| 2 | $31,600 | $52,700 | $63,240 | $84,300 |
| 3 | $35,550 | $59,300 | $71,160 | $94,850 |
| 4 | $39,500 | $65,850 | $79,020 | $105,350 |
| 5 | $42,700 | $71,150 | $85,380 | $113,800 |
| 6 | $45,850 | $76,400 | $91,680 | $122,250 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $81,700 | $98,040 | $130,650 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $86,950 | $104,340 | $139,100 |
Rent history
Since FY2017 the two-bedroom FMR here has gone from $1,060 to $2,043, up 92.7% over ten years. HUD has published a two-bedroom FMR for this area since FY1983, when it was $419.
What it takes to afford the rent
To keep a two-bedroom rent of $2,043 at no more than 30% of income, the usual affordability rule, a household needs about $81,700 a year. That is 63% of the area median family income of $130,400, so a typical family can afford it with room to spare.
| Unit | FY2027 | FY2026 | FY2025 | Income to affordat 30% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,577 | $1,588 | $1,429 | $63,100 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,587 | $1,599 | $1,438 | $63,500 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,043 | $2,056 | $1,854 | $81,700 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,560 | $2,548 | $2,265 | $102,400 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,915 | $2,825 | $2,493 | $116,600 |
Fair Market Rents by town in Worcester County
In New England HUD sets Fair Market Rents and income limits by town, not by county. The 60 towns of Worcester County fall into 4 HUD areas; the figures at the top of this page are for Worcester, MA, the area with the most residents. Find your town below.
| HUD area | 2 BR FMR | Median income | Towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | $2,043 | $130,400 | Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southbridge Town, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Uxbridge, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, Worcester |
| Fitchburg-Leominster, MA | $1,900 | $113,900 | Ashburnham, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Lunenburg, Templeton, Westminster, Winchendon |
| Eastern Worcester County, MA | $2,499 | $149,400 | Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Harvard, Hopedale, Lancaster, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Southborough, Upton |
| Western Worcester County, MA | $1,659 | $102,000 | Athol, Hardwick, Hubbardston, New Braintree, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Warren |
How Worcester County compares
Worcester County makes up the Worcester, MA metro area on its own, so HUD's metro figures and the county figures are the same.
Worcester County has the 8th highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of the 14 counties in Massachusetts; the population-weighted average across Massachusetts is $2,640 and the nationwide average is $1,751.
Small Area FMRs by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents for each ZIP code. In Worcester County the two-bedroom figure ranges from $1,440 to $3,400 across 96 ZIP codes, against the area-wide $2,043. This area is not on HUD's list of mandatory Small Area FMR areas, so most agencies here use the area-wide FMR; an agency may still opt in to ZIP-level rents.
| ZIP | Place | 2 BR SAFMR | 110% payment std. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01772 | Southborough | $3,400 | $3,740 |
| 01745 | Fayville | $3,310 | $3,641 |
| 01523 | Lancaster | $3,190 | $3,509 |
| 01561 | South Lancaster | $3,190 | $3,509 |
| 01756 | Mendon | $2,920 | $3,212 |
| 01462 | Lunenburg | $2,840 | $3,124 |
| 01503 | Berlin | $2,840 | $3,124 |
| 01532 | Northborough | $2,840 | $3,124 |
| 01519 | Grafton | $2,810 | $3,091 |
| 01581 | Westborough | $2,810 | $3,091 |
| 01545 | Shrewsbury | $2,780 | $3,058 |
| 01740 | Bolton | $2,660 | $2,926 |
| 01434 | Devens | $2,650 | $2,915 |
| 01451 | Harvard | $2,650 | $2,915 |
| 01504 | Blackstone | $2,650 | $2,915 |
| 01473 | Westminster | $2,650 | $2,915 |
| 01568 | Upton | $2,590 | $2,849 |
| 01747 | Hopedale | $2,590 | $2,849 |
| 01757 | Milford | $2,590 | $2,849 |
| 01505 | Boylston | $2,550 | $2,805 |
| 01520 | Holden | $2,430 | $2,673 |
| 01566 | Sturbridge | $2,360 | $2,596 |
| 01430 | Ashburnham | $2,360 | $2,596 |
| 01602 | Worcester | $2,250 | $2,475 |
| 01604 | Worcester | $2,240 | $2,464 |
| 01606 | Worcester | $2,190 | $2,409 |
| 01441 | Westminster | $2,160 | $2,376 |
| 01569 | Uxbridge | $2,150 | $2,365 |
| 01605 | Worcester | $2,140 | $2,354 |
| 01516 | Douglas | $2,120 | $2,332 |
| 01467 | Still River | $2,120 | $2,332 |
| 01564 | Sterling | $2,110 | $2,321 |
| 01608 | Worcester | $2,110 | $2,321 |
| 01527 | Millbury | $2,090 | $2,299 |
| 01541 | Princeton | $2,090 | $2,299 |
| 01607 | Worcester | $2,080 | $2,288 |
| 01522 | Jefferson | $2,070 | $2,277 |
| 01590 | Sutton | $2,050 | $2,255 |
| 01542 | Rochdale | $2,040 | $2,244 |
| 01529 | Millville | $2,040 | $2,244 |
| 01468 | Templeton | $2,030 | $2,233 |
| 01453 | Leominster | $2,020 | $2,222 |
| 01610 | Worcester | $2,020 | $2,222 |
| 01531 | New Braintree | $2,010 | $2,211 |
| 01366 | Petersham | $2,010 | $2,211 |
| 01508 | Charlton City | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01509 | Charlton Depot | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01525 | Linwood | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01526 | Manchaug | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01538 | North Uxbridge | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01546 | Shrewsbury | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01586 | West Millbury | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01613 | Worcester | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01653 | Worcester | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01655 | Worcester | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01438 | East Templeton | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01368 | Royalston | $1,980 | $2,178 |
| 01603 | Worcester | $1,970 | $2,167 |
| 01510 | Clinton | $1,950 | $2,145 |
| 01534 | Northbridge | $1,950 | $2,145 |
| 01536 | North Grafton | $1,950 | $2,145 |
| 01094 | Wheelwright | $1,910 | $2,101 |
| 01475 | Winchendon | $1,900 | $2,090 |
| 01609 | Worcester | $1,870 | $2,057 |
| 01005 | Barre | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01068 | Oakham | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01074 | South Barre | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01452 | Hubbardston | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01501 | Auburn | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01506 | Brookfield | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01507 | Charlton | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01515 | East Brookfield | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01518 | Fiskdale | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01524 | Leicester | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01535 | North Brookfield | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01537 | North Oxford | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01540 | Oxford | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01543 | Rutland | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01550 | Southbridge | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01560 | South Grafton | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01562 | Spencer | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01570 | Webster | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01571 | Dudley | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01583 | West Boylston | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01585 | West Brookfield | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01588 | Whitinsville | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01611 | Cherry Valley | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01612 | Paxton | $1,860 | $2,046 |
| 01436 | Baldwinville | $1,840 | $2,024 |
| 01031 | Gilbertville | $1,810 | $1,991 |
| 01420 | Fitchburg | $1,790 | $1,969 |
| 01083 | Warren | $1,770 | $1,947 |
| 01037 | Hardwick | $1,710 | $1,881 |
| 01440 | Gardner | $1,690 | $1,859 |
| 01331 | Athol | $1,680 | $1,848 |
| 01092 | West Warren | $1,440 | $1,584 |
Questions
What is the Fair Market Rent in Worcester County, MA for 2027?
For FY2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027) HUD's Fair Market Rents in Worcester County, MA are $1,577 for a studio, $1,587 for one bedroom, $2,043 for two bedrooms, $2,560 for three and $2,915 for four bedrooms, per month including utilities.
What is the area median income in Worcester County, MA?
HUD's FY2026 median family income for the area is $130,400, up 6.7% from $122,200 in FY2025.
What is 80% of AMI in Worcester County, MA for a family of 4?
The FY2026 low-income limit (80%) for a household of four is $105,350 a year. The very low-income limit (50%) is $65,850 and the extremely low-income limit is $39,500.
What is the 60% AMI limit for tax credit housing in Worcester County, MA?
Under HUD's FY2026 Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits, the 60% limit is $55,320 for one person and $79,020 for four.
Is the Fair Market Rent the same as the Section 8 payment standard?
No. Housing agencies set their payment standard between 90% and 110% of the FMR (for a two-bedroom here: $1,839 to $2,247), and can ask HUD for exceptions. Check the payment standard with your local housing agency.