County FMR · HUD FY2026
Merrimack County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Merrimack County, NH - 57% above the US average.
- $1,504
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,974
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +22.3%
- YoY change
- +57%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Merrimack is the 4th most expensive of 10 counties in New Hampshire by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #126 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 22.3% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #126
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #4
- most expensive of 10 in New Hampshire (2BR)
- +3%
- vs the state average
- $60,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (59.5%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Merrimack County, NH. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Merrimack County, New Hampshire at $1,504 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,974/mo and a studio is $1,361/mo. This is 57% higher than the national average of $959 and 3% above the New Hampshire average of $1,460.
Rent increased22.3% from FY 2025 ($1,230), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $60,160/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 41.6% of the 16,019 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 4.5%, 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 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Hampshire. Population: 4,727. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.7%, Census ACS). That's in line with New Hampshire's statewide growth of +3.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MERRIMACK·COUNTY·NH·NH
Merrimack County, NH: $1,504/mo 1BR · #126 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NH
- 1BR-FMR $1,504
- 2BR-FMR $1,974
- RANK-UPPER #126
- YOY-SURGE +22.3%
- VSUS-HIGH +57%
- VS-ST-NEAR +3% NH
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 5K
- PHOTO-NEAR Hillsborough Count
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,354–$1,654
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Hillsborough ($169 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,120 | $1,361 | +$241 (+21.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,230 | $1,504 | +$274 (+22.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,614 | $1,974 | +$360 (+22.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,132 | $2,604 | +$472 (+22.1%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,140 | $2,614 | +$474 (+22.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Merrimack 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 Merrimack sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,974 Top 4% higher than 96% 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 Merrimack compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other New Hampshire counties
- Rockingham
Rockingham County
$1,730 1BR FMR / mo
- Strafford
Strafford County
$1,677 1BR FMR / mo
- Hillsborough
Hillsborough County
$1,673 1BR FMR / mo
- Merrimack
Merrimack County
$1,504 1BR FMR / mo
- Cheshire
Cheshire County
$1,468 1BR FMR / mo
- Grafton
Grafton County
$1,455 1BR FMR / mo
- Belknap
Belknap County
$1,425 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Merrimack is highlighted. Nearby New Hampshire counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Rockingham County ($1,730), Strafford County ($1,677), Hillsborough County ($1,673), Merrimack County (this county) ($1,504), Cheshire County ($1,468), Grafton County ($1,455), Belknap County ($1,425).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,504/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using New Hampshire BLS wages?
| Occupation | NH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $132,420 | 13.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $107,060 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $96,830 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $82,830 | 21.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $67,620 | 26.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $64,430 | 28% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,990 | 29.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,640 | 29.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,620 | 30.8% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,960 | 38.4% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $45,300 | 39.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,860 | 47.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $37,220 | 48.5% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,440 | 50.9% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $30,320 | 59.5% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Merrimack County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Merrimack (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 71.9% overall, from $875 to $1,504. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +22.3% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑22.3% | $1,361 | $1,504 | $1,974 |
| FY 2025 ↑13.3% | $1,120 | $1,230 | $1,614 |
| FY 2024 ↑1.3% | $972 | $1,086 | $1,427 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.9% | $963 | $1,072 | $1,411 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.7% | $857 | $941 | $1,237 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.7% | $840 | $916 | $1,186 |
| FY 2020 | $813 | $875 | $1,131 |
Part of the Concord, NH Micro Area
Merrimack County is a central county of the Concord, NH micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Merrimack County, both outside New Hampshire 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 NH (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NH).
Nearby Counties in New Hampshire
Largest counties by population in New Hampshire
Showing the 8 largest of 9 other counties in New Hampshire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Merrimack County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Merrimack County is $1,504 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,974 and a studio is $1,361.
How does Merrimack County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Merrimack County is 57% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,504 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Merrimack County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Merrimack County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,974 ranks #126 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Merrimack County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $60,160 ($5,013/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Merrimack County.
Is rent going up or down in Merrimack County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Merrimack County increased by 22.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,230 to $1,504.
Which jobs can afford rent in Merrimack County?
Based on New Hampshire BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,504/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Merrimack County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Merrimack County went from $875 in FY 2020 to $1,504 in FY 2026, a total change of +71.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Merrimack County?
In Merrimack County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,504/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 Merrimack County?
For Merrimack County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,504/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Merrimack County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.5%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Merrimack County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Merrimack'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 $1,504 implies about $60,160/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- New Hampshire counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Hillsborough
- See where Merrimack 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.