County FMR · HUD FY2026
Garrett County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Garrett County, MD - 10% below the US average.
- $864
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.7%
- YoY change
- -10%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Garrett is the 2nd cheapest of 24 counties in Maryland by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #2
- cheapest of 24 in Maryland (2BR)
- -38%
- vs the state average
- $34,560
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.2%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Garrett County, MD. Verify with HUD →
Garrett County, Maryland carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $864 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $848/mo. That's 10% below the national benchmark of $959 and 38% below the Maryland average of $1,404.
Rent increased4.7% from FY 2025 ($825), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,560/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 23.5% of the 2,385 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 25.9%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Maryland. Population: 28,856. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Maryland's statewide growth of +2.8% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area GARRETT·COUNTY·MD·MD
Garrett County, MD: $864/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MD
- 1BR-FMR $864
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-UP +4.7%
- VSUS-BELOW -10%
- VS-ST-LOW -38% MD
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 29K
- PHOTO-NEAR Montgomery County
- VOUCH-90-110 $778–$950
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Montgomery ($1,151 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $811 | $848 | +$37 (+4.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $825 | $864 | +$39 (+4.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,307 | $1,353 | +$46 (+3.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,532 | $1,441 | $-91 (-5.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Garrett 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 Garrett sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% 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 Garrett 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
- Garrett
Garrett County
$864 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Garrett 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), Garrett County (this county) ($864).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $864/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 | 7.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $105,320 | 9.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $96,830 | 10.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $84,890 | 12.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,440 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $74,720 | 13.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,650 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $63,560 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,180 | 18.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,100 | 24.1% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,310 | 25.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,090 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,700 | 29% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,310 | 30.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,200 | 33.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Garrett County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Garrett (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 46.9% overall, from $588 to $864. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.7% | $848 | $864 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.8% | $811 | $825 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑12.3% | $785 | $795 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.1% | $696 | $708 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑5.5% | $557 | $637 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.7% | $484 | $604 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $477 | $588 | $732 |
Where Garrett County Ranks in Maryland
Garrett 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 #2 of 24 counties in Maryland. Nearest by rank: Allegany County ($973), Garrett County (this county) ($973), Dorchester County ($1,144), Somerset County ($1,167), Worcester County ($1,194), Kent County ($1,246), Washington County ($1,261).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Garrett 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 Garrett County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Garrett County is $864 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $848.
How does Garrett County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Garrett County is 10% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $864 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Garrett County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Garrett County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Garrett County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $34,560 ($2,880/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Garrett County.
Is rent going up or down in Garrett County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Garrett County increased by 4.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $825 to $864.
Which jobs can afford rent in Garrett 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 $864/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Garrett County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Garrett County went from $588 in FY 2020 to $864 in FY 2026, a total change of +46.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Garrett County?
In Garrett County, the FY 2026 FMR of $864/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 Garrett County?
For Garrett County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($864/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Garrett County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 25.9%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Garrett County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Garrett'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 $864 implies about $34,560/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 Garrett 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.