County FMR · HUD FY2026

Nantucket County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Nantucket County, MA - 153% above the US average.

$2,425
1-bedroom FMR
$3,138
2-bedroom FMR
-0.5%
YoY change
+153%
vs US avg

The verdict

Nantucket is the 1st most expensive of 14 counties in Massachusetts by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#1
most expensive of 14 in Massachusetts (2BR)
+35%
vs the state average
$97,000
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (19.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (83%); only 3 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Massachusetts counties range as much as 79% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Nantucket County, MA. Verify with HUD →

Nantucket County, Massachusetts carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $2,425 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $3,138/mo and a studio is $2,409/mo. That's 153% above the national benchmark of $959 and 35% above the Massachusetts average of $1,796.

Rent decreased0.5% from FY 2025 ($2,436), roughly tracking inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $97,000/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 41.7% of the 1,187 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.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Massachusetts. Population: 14,299. Population grew 28.8% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Massachusetts's statewide growth of +2.4% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area NANTUCKET·COUNTY·MA·MA

Nantucket County, MA: $2,425/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA MA
  • 1BR-FMR $2,425
  • 2BR-FMR $3,138
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-FLAT -0.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +153%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +35% MA
  • INC-MID 24%
  • POP-SMALL 14K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Suffolk County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $2,183–$2,668
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Suffolk ($51 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,696 · US avg: $893
$2,409/mo
↑ 4.8% YoY +42% vs state +170% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,796 · US avg: $959
$2,425/mo
↓ 0.5% YoY +35% vs state +153% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,261 · US avg: $1,175
$3,138/mo
↑ 10.4% YoY +39% vs state +167% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,823 · US avg: $1,525
$4,143/mo
↑ 21.0% YoY +47% vs state +172% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,188 · US avg: $1,756
$5,260/mo
↑ 10.2% YoY +65% vs state +200% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $2,298
$2,409
+$111 (+4.8%)
1 Bedroom $2,436
$2,425
$-11 (-0.5%)
2 Bedroom $2,842
$3,138
+$296 (+10.4%)
3 Bedroom $3,424
$4,143
+$719 (+21.0%)
4 Bedroom $4,772
$5,260
+$488 (+10.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Nantucket County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
24.1%
Affordable
Need $96,360/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
24.3%
Affordable
Need $97,000/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
31.4%
Burdened
Need $125,520/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
41.5%
Burdened
Need $165,720/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
52.7%
Severe
Need $210,400/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%31.4%
Nantucket County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $119,750 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Massachusetts rent burden →

Where Nantucket sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$3,138 Top 1% higher than 99% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Below this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Below this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Below this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). This entry sits in this band. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Nantucket compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Massachusetts counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Nantucket is highlighted. Nearby Massachusetts counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Suffolk County ($2,476), Middlesex County ($2,476), Essex County ($2,476), Nantucket County (this county) ($2,425), Barnstable County ($1,846), Hampshire County ($1,580), Hampden County ($1,382).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $2,425/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Massachusetts BLS wages?

Occupation MA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $150,520 19.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $123,850 23.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $101,970 28.5% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $96,580 30.1% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $83,260 35% Stretched
Electricians $82,120 35.4% Stretched
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,610 37% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $74,990 38.8% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,630 48% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $48,060 60.5% Unaffordable
Pharmacy Technicians $44,640 65.2% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $44,570 65.3% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $37,920 76.7% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $36,320 80.1% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $35,060 83% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Massachusetts) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Nantucket County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Nantucket (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 85.8% overall, from $1,305 to $2,425. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 34.9% (FY 2021), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$1,000$1,500$2,000$2,500 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $2,425
Nantucket County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓0.5% $2,409 $2,425 $3,138
FY 2025 ↑26.7% $2,298 $2,436 $2,842
FY 2024 ↓4.3% $1,910 $1,922 $2,526
FY 2023 ↑8.7% $1,750 $2,009 $2,618
FY 2022 ↑4.9% $1,587 $1,848 $2,388
FY 2021 ↑34.9% $1,335 $1,761 $2,023
FY 2020 $1,248 $1,305 $1,719
Total change (6yr): +85.8%
Annualized: +10.9%/yr
1 BR: $1,305 → $2,425

Part of the Nantucket, MA Micro Area

Nantucket County is a central county of the Nantucket, MA micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Nantucket County, both outside Massachusetts 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 MA (FY2026).

Santa Barbara County
CA · 2 BR $3,124/mo
Orange County
CA · 2 BR $3,236/mo
San Diego County
CA · 2 BR $3,001/mo
Alameda County
CA · 2 BR $2,912/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MA).

Quitman County
MS · 31.4% of income · 2 BR $842/mo
Macon County
GA · 31.4% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Claiborne Parish
LA · 31.5% of income · 2 BR $834/mo
Marion County
SC · 31.4% of income · 2 BR $902/mo

Nearby Counties in Massachusetts

Largest counties by population in Massachusetts

Showing the 8 largest of 13 other counties in Massachusetts.

Suffolk County
1 BR: $2,476/mo Pop: 663,972
Barnstable County
1 BR: $1,846/mo Pop: 49,232
Hampshire County
1 BR: $1,580/mo Pop: 35,472
Hampden County
1 BR: $1,382/mo Pop: 28,510
Middlesex County
1 BR: $2,476/mo Pop: 23,961
Essex County
1 BR: $2,476/mo Pop: 17,277
Plymouth County
1 BR: $1,761/mo Pop: 17,008
Bristol County
1 BR: $1,230/mo Pop: 10,563
View all counties in Massachusetts →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Nantucket County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Nantucket County is $2,425 per month. A 2-bedroom is $3,138 and a studio is $2,409.
How does Nantucket County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Nantucket County is 153% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $2,425 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Nantucket County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Nantucket County's 2-bedroom FMR of $3,138 ranks #31 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 Nantucket County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $97,000 ($8,083/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Nantucket County.
Is rent going up or down in Nantucket County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Nantucket County decreased by 0.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $2,436 to $2,425.
Which jobs can afford rent in Nantucket County? ▼
Based on Massachusetts BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $2,425/mo. 3 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Nantucket County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Nantucket County went from $1,305 in FY 2020 to $2,425 in FY 2026, a total change of +85.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Nantucket County? ▼
In Nantucket County, the FY 2026 FMR of $2,425/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 Nantucket County? ▼
For Nantucket County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($2,425/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.