County FMR · HUD FY2026
Essex County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Essex County, VT - 4% below the US average.
- $919
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,007
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +7.6%
- YoY change
- -4%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Essex is the 1st cheapest of 14 counties in Vermont by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,448 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.6% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,448
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #1
- cheapest of 14 in Vermont (2BR)
- -24%
- vs the state average
- $36,760
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.9%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Vermont counties range as much as 66% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Essex County, VT. Verify with HUD →
Essex County, Vermont carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $919 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,007/mo and a studio is $780/mo. That's 4% below the national benchmark of $959 and 24% below the Vermont average of $1,203.
Rent increased7.6% from FY 2025 ($854), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $36,760/year for a 1-bedroom.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Vermont. Population: 5. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-3.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Vermont's statewide growth of +3.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area ESSEX·COUNTY·VT·VT
Essex County, VT: $919/mo 1BR · #1448 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA VT
- 1BR-FMR $919
- 2BR-FMR $1,007
- RANK-MID #1,448
- YOY-SURGE +7.6%
- VSUS-NEAR -4%
- VS-ST-LOW -24% VT
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 5
- PHOTO-NEAR Washington County
- VOUCH-90-110 $827–$1,011
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Washington ($210 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $823 | $780 | $-43 (-5.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $854 | $919 | +$65 (+7.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $946 | $1,007 | +$61 (+6.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,326 | $1,400 | +$74 (+5.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,351 | $1,640 | +$289 (+21.4%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Essex 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 Essex sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,007 higher than 46% 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 Essex compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Vermont counties
- Grand Isle
Grand Isle County
$1,651 1BR FMR / mo
- Franklin
Franklin County
$1,651 1BR FMR / mo
- Orange
Orange County
$1,167 1BR FMR / mo
- Bennington
Bennington County
$1,142 1BR FMR / mo
- Washington
Washington County
$1,129 1BR FMR / mo
- Caledonia
Caledonia County
$992 1BR FMR / mo
- Essex
Essex County
$919 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Essex is highlighted. Nearby Vermont counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Grand Isle County ($1,651), Franklin County ($1,651), Orange County ($1,167), Bennington County ($1,142), Washington County ($1,129), Caledonia County ($992), Essex County (this county) ($919).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $919/mo compares to Vermont salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | VT Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $130,720 | 8.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $93,290 | 11.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $85,150 | 13% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,990 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $63,690 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $63,000 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,270 | 18% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,670 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,360 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $46,050 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,190 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $38,630 | 28.5% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $37,120 | 29.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,810 | 30% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $34,540 | 31.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Essex County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Essex (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 52.4% overall, from $603 to $919. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.1% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑7.6% | $780 | $919 | $1,007 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.4% | $823 | $854 | $946 |
| FY 2024 ↑11.8% | $812 | $834 | $936 |
| FY 2023 ↑14.1% | $730 | $746 | $843 |
| FY 2022 ↑12.2% | $585 | $654 | $781 |
| FY 2021 ↓3.3% | $560 | $583 | $741 |
| FY 2020 | $580 | $603 | $762 |
Where Essex County Ranks in Vermont
Essex County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #1 of 14 counties in Vermont. Nearest by rank: Essex County (this county) ($1,007), Caledonia County ($1,159), Orleans County ($1,184), Bennington County ($1,297), Lamoille County ($1,345).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Essex County, both outside Vermont 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 VT (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside VT).
Nearby Counties in Vermont
Largest counties by population in Vermont
Showing the 8 largest of 13 other counties in Vermont.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Essex County? ▼
How does Essex County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Essex County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Essex County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Essex County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Essex County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Essex County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Essex County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Essex County? ▼
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
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.