FMR Lookup › Massachusetts › Boston-Cambridge-Quincy
Section 8 Fair Market Rent in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH (FY2026)
HUD's official FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area, by bedroom count. These figures set the baseline for what the Housing Choice Voucher program pays landlords in this area.
| Unit size | FY2026 FMR | Payment standard range (90–110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / efficiency | $2,359 | $2,123 – $2,595 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,476 | $2,228 – $2,724 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,941 | $2,647 – $3,235 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,526 | $3,173 – $3,879 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,894 | $3,505 – $4,283 |
Source: HUD User — FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. FY2026 FMRs are effective October 1, 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
How this market compares
The 2-bedroom FMR here is $2,941 — 42% above the Massachusetts median of $2,067 across all 20 FMR areas in the state.
Counties and towns covered
The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH FMR area is a metro area covering: Amesbury Town city (Essex County), Beverly city (Essex County), Danvers town (Essex County), Essex town (Essex County), Gloucester city (Essex County), Hamilton town (Essex County), Ipswich town (Essex County), Lynn city (Essex County), Lynnfield town (Essex County), Manchester-by-the-Sea town (Essex County), Marblehead town (Essex County), Middleton town (Essex County), Nahant town (Essex County), Newbury town (Essex County), Newburyport city (Essex County), Peabody city (Essex County), Rockport town (Essex County), Rowley town (Essex County), Salem city (Essex County), Salisbury town (Essex County), Saugus town (Essex County), Swampscott town (Essex County), Topsfield town (Essex County), Wenham town (Essex County), Acton town (Middlesex County), Arlington town (Middlesex County), Ashby town (Middlesex County), Ashland town (Middlesex County), Ayer town (Middlesex County), Bedford town (Middlesex County), Belmont town (Middlesex County), Boxborough town (Middlesex County), Burlington town (Middlesex County), Cambridge city (Middlesex County), Carlisle town (Middlesex County), Concord town (Middlesex County), Everett city (Middlesex County), Framingham city (Middlesex County), Holliston town (Middlesex County), Hopkinton town (Middlesex County), Hudson town (Middlesex County), Lexington town (Middlesex County), Lincoln town (Middlesex County), Littleton town (Middlesex County), Malden city (Middlesex County), Marlborough city (Middlesex County), Maynard town (Middlesex County), Medford city (Middlesex County), Melrose city (Middlesex County), Natick town (Middlesex County), Newton city (Middlesex County), North Reading town (Middlesex County), Reading town (Middlesex County), Sherborn town (Middlesex County), Shirley town (Middlesex County), Somerville city (Middlesex County), Stoneham town (Middlesex County), Stow town (Middlesex County), Sudbury town (Middlesex County), Townsend town (Middlesex County), Wakefield town (Middlesex County), Waltham city (Middlesex County), Watertown city (Middlesex County), Wayland town (Middlesex County), Weston town (Middlesex County), Wilmington town (Middlesex County), Winchester town (Middlesex County), Woburn city (Middlesex County), Bellingham town (Norfolk County), Braintree Town city (Norfolk County), Brookline town (Norfolk County), Canton town (Norfolk County), Cohasset town (Norfolk County), Dedham town (Norfolk County), Dover town (Norfolk County), Foxborough town (Norfolk County), Franklin Town city (Norfolk County), Holbrook town (Norfolk County), Medfield town (Norfolk County), Medway town (Norfolk County), Millis town (Norfolk County), Milton town (Norfolk County), Needham town (Norfolk County), Norfolk town (Norfolk County), Norwood town (Norfolk County), Plainville town (Norfolk County), Quincy city (Norfolk County), Randolph city (Norfolk County), Sharon town (Norfolk County), Stoughton town (Norfolk County), Walpole town (Norfolk County), Wellesley town (Norfolk County), Westwood town (Norfolk County), Weymouth Town city (Norfolk County), Wrentham town (Norfolk County), Carver town (Plymouth County), Duxbury town (Plymouth County), Hanover town (Plymouth County), Hingham town (Plymouth County), Hull town (Plymouth County), Kingston town (Plymouth County), Marshfield town (Plymouth County), Norwell town (Plymouth County), Pembroke town (Plymouth County), Plymouth town (Plymouth County), Rockland town (Plymouth County), Scituate town (Plymouth County), Wareham town (Plymouth County), Boston city (Suffolk County), Chelsea city (Suffolk County), Revere city (Suffolk County), Winthrop Town city (Suffolk County), Seabrook town (Rockingham County), South Hampton town (Rockingham County). One FMR applies across the whole area — HUD does not publish separate figures per city or ZIP here (some large metros have Small Area FMRs by ZIP; check with the local housing authority).
What a landlord actually collects
FMR is the baseline, not the contract rent. The local housing authority sets a payment standard between 90% and 110% of FMR (the range in the table above), and your unit must pass a rent-reasonableness comparison against similar unassisted rentals nearby. The voucher then covers the gap between the tenant's share (roughly 30% of their income) and the approved rent.
Run the numbers for a deal in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy: Section 8 vs market rent, DSCR, or cash-on-cash return.
Comparable Massachusetts markets by 2BR FMR
| FMR area | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket County | $2,425 | $3,138 | $4,143 |
| Easton-Raynham | $1,943 | $2,550 | $3,057 |
| Barnstable Town | $1,846 | $2,422 | $2,985 |
| Lowell | $1,792 | $2,351 | $2,819 |
| Brockton | $1,761 | $2,311 | $2,889 |
| Lawrence | $1,730 | $2,270 | $2,722 |
All 20 Massachusetts FMR areas →
Informational only — not financial, legal, or lending advice. Confirm current payment standards with the housing authority serving Boston-Cambridge-Quincy.