County FMR · HUD FY2026
Dorchester County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dorchester County, MD - 1% below the US average.
- $952
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,144
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.1%
- YoY change
- -1%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Dorchester is the 3rd cheapest of 24 counties in Maryland by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,164 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,164
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- cheapest of 24 in Maryland (2BR)
- -32%
- vs the state average
- $38,080
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (36.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dorchester County, MD. Verify with HUD →
Dorchester County, Maryland carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $952 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,144/mo and a studio is $947/mo. That's 1% below the national benchmark of $959 and 32% below the Maryland average of $1,404.
Rent increased3.1% from FY 2025 ($923), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $38,080/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 44.5% of the 4,487 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 7.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Maryland. Population: 32,557. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.1%, Census ACS). That's slower than Maryland's statewide growth of +2.8% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DORCHESTER·COUNTY·MD·MD
Dorchester County, MD: $952/mo 1BR · #1164 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MD
- 1BR-FMR $952
- 2BR-FMR $1,144
- RANK-MID #1,164
- YOY-UP +3.1%
- VSUS-NEAR -1%
- VS-ST-LOW -32% MD
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 33K
- PHOTO-NEAR Montgomery County
- VOUCH-90-110 $857–$1,047
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Montgomery ($1,063 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $917 | $947 | +$30 (+3.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $923 | $952 | +$29 (+3.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,154 | $1,144 | $-10 (-0.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,617 | $1,591 | $-26 (-1.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,938 | $1,919 | $-19 (-1.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Dorchester County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Dorchester sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,144 Top 37% higher than 63% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Dorchester compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Maryland counties
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$2,015 1BR FMR / mo
- Prince George's
Prince George's County
$2,015 1BR FMR / mo
- Baltimore
Baltimore County
$1,511 1BR FMR / mo
- Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County
$1,511 1BR FMR / mo
- Baltimore city
Baltimore city
$1,511 1BR FMR / mo
- Howard
Howard County
$1,511 1BR FMR / mo
- Dorchester
Dorchester County
$952 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Dorchester is highlighted. Nearby Maryland counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Montgomery County ($2,015), Prince George's County ($2,015), Baltimore County ($1,511), Anne Arundel County ($1,511), Baltimore city ($1,511), Howard County ($1,511), Dorchester County (this county) ($952).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $952/mo compares to Maryland salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MD Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $137,890 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $105,320 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $96,830 | 11.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $84,890 | 13.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,440 | 14.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $74,720 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,650 | 17.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $63,560 | 18% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,180 | 20% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,100 | 26.5% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,310 | 28.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,090 | 31.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,700 | 32% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,310 | 33.3% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,200 | 36.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dorchester County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dorchester (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.4% overall, from $784 to $952. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.6% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.1% | $947 | $952 | $1,144 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.0% | $917 | $923 | $1,154 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.6% | $890 | $896 | $1,121 |
| FY 2023 ↑7.9% | $784 | $789 | $991 |
| FY 2022 ↓2.9% | $726 | $731 | $894 |
| FY 2021 ↓4.0% | $748 | $753 | $902 |
| FY 2020 | $783 | $784 | $917 |
Part of the Cambridge, MD Micro Area
Dorchester County is a central county of the Cambridge, MD micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dorchester County, both outside Maryland so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside MD (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MD).
Nearby Counties in Maryland
Largest counties by population in Maryland
Showing the 8 largest of 23 other counties in Maryland.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Dorchester County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dorchester County is $952 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,144 and a studio is $947.
How does Dorchester County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Dorchester County is 1% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $952 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dorchester County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dorchester County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,144 ranks #1,164 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Dorchester County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $38,080 ($3,173/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dorchester County.
Is rent going up or down in Dorchester County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dorchester County increased by 3.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $923 to $952.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dorchester County?
Based on Maryland BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $952/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dorchester County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dorchester County went from $784 in FY 2020 to $952 in FY 2026, a total change of +21.4% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dorchester County?
In Dorchester County, the FY 2026 FMR of $952/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Dorchester County?
For Dorchester County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($952/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Dorchester County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 7.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Dorchester County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Dorchester's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $952 implies about $38,080/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Maryland counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Montgomery
- See where Dorchester ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.