County FMR · HUD FY2026
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT - 51% above the US average.
- $1,445
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,788
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +51%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is the 3rd cheapest of 9 counties in Connecticut by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #220 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #220
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- cheapest of 9 in Connecticut (2BR)
- -9%
- vs the state average
- $57,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (51%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut is $1,445 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,788/mo and a studio is $1,246/mo. This is 51% higher than the national average of $959 and 9% below the Connecticut average of $1,590.
Clearing the 30% rule here takes $57,800/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 48.8% of the 57,710 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 4.2%, 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 5.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Connecticut. Population: 18,951.
FMR filing desk
Area NAUGATUCK·VALLEY·PLANNING·REGION·CT·CT
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT: $1,445/mo 1BR · #220 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CT
- 1BR-FMR $1,445
- 2BR-FMR $1,788
- RANK-UPPER #220
- YOY-NA YoY pending
- VSUS-HIGH +51%
- VS-ST-LOW -9% CT
- INC-MID 20%
- POP-SMALL 19K
- PHOTO-NEAR Greater Bridgeport
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,301–$1,590
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Greater Bridgeport Planning Region ($655 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. 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 Naugatuck Valley Planning Region sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,788 Top 7% higher than 93% 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 Naugatuck Valley Planning Region compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Connecticut counties
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
$2,100 1BR FMR / mo
- Western Connecticut Planning Region
Western Connecticut Planning Region
$2,100 1BR FMR / mo
- South Central Connecticut Planning Region
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
$1,591 1BR FMR / mo
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
$1,445 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is highlighted. Nearby Connecticut counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Greater Bridgeport Planning Region ($2,100), Western Connecticut Planning Region ($2,100), South Central Connecticut Planning Region ($1,591), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (this county) ($1,445).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,445/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Connecticut BLS wages?
| Occupation | CT Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $130,870 | 13.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $130,230 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $101,590 | 17.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $89,630 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,820 | 20.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $78,740 | 22% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $76,790 | 22.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $63,260 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,700 | 29.5% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,260 | 36.7% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,190 | 39.2% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $37,160 | 46.7% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,800 | 47.1% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,350 | 49.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $33,980 | 51% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
6-year Fair Market Rent history for Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 34.2% overall, from $1,077 to $1,445. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 21.0% (FY 2023), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓9.2% | $1,246 | $1,445 | $1,788 |
| FY 2024 ↑19.4% | $1,333 | $1,591 | $1,967 |
| FY 2023 ↑21.0% | $1,105 | $1,332 | $1,652 |
| FY 2022 ↓4.8% | $911 | $1,101 | $1,371 |
| FY 2021 ↑7.3% | $954 | $1,156 | $1,446 |
| FY 2020 | $878 | $1,077 | $1,346 |
Part of the Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is a central county of the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, both outside Connecticut 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 CT (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CT).
Nearby Counties in Connecticut
Largest counties by population in Connecticut
Showing the 8 largest of 16 other counties in Connecticut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is $1,445 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,788 and a studio is $1,246.
How does Naugatuck Valley Planning Region rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is 51% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,445 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Naugatuck Valley Planning Region rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,788 ranks #220 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 Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $57,800 ($4,817/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region.
Which jobs can afford rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
Based on Connecticut BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,445/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region went from $1,077 in FY 2020 to $1,445 in FY 2026, a total change of +34.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
In Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,445/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 Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
For Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,445/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Naugatuck Valley Planning Region'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 $1,445 implies about $57,800/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Connecticut counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
- See where Naugatuck Valley Planning Region 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.