County FMR · HUD FY2026
South Central Connecticut Planning Region Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT - 66% above the US average.
- $1,591
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,969
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +66%
- vs US avg
The verdict
South Central Connecticut Planning Region is the 3rd most expensive of 9 counties in Connecticut by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #126 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #126
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- most expensive of 9 in Connecticut (2BR)
- +0%
- vs the state average
- $63,640
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (56.2%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT. Verify with HUD →
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,591 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,969/mo and a studio is $1,372/mo. That's 66% above the national benchmark of $959 and 0% above the Connecticut average of $1,590.
Clearing the 30% rule here takes $63,640/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 49.6% of the 89,831 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 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Connecticut. Population: 5,280.
FMR filing desk
Area SOUTH·CENTRAL·CONNECTICUT·PLANNING·REGION·CT·CT
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT: $1,591/mo 1BR · #126 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CT
- 1BR-FMR $1,591
- 2BR-FMR $1,969
- RANK-UPPER #126
- YOY-NA YoY pending
- VSUS-HIGH +66%
- VS-ST-NEAR +0% CT
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-SMALL 5K
- PHOTO-NEAR Greater Bridgeport
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,432–$1,750
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Greater Bridgeport Planning Region ($509 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in South Central Connecticut 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,969 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 South Central Connecticut 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 South Central Connecticut 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 (this county) ($1,591), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region ($1,445).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,591/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 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $130,230 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $101,590 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $89,630 | 21.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,820 | 23.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $78,740 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $76,790 | 24.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $63,260 | 30.2% | Stretched |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,700 | 32.5% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,260 | 40.4% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,190 | 43.2% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $37,160 | 51.4% | Unaffordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,800 | 51.9% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,350 | 54% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $33,980 | 56.2% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
6-year Fair Market Rent history for South Central Connecticut Planning Region. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for South Central Connecticut Planning Region (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 36.9% overall, from $1,162 to $1,591. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.8% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑15.8% | $1,372 | $1,591 | $1,969 |
| FY 2024 ↑3.0% | $1,251 | $1,374 | $1,676 |
| FY 2023 ↑12.5% | $1,200 | $1,334 | $1,629 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.4% | $1,048 | $1,186 | $1,447 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.6% | $1,055 | $1,181 | $1,438 |
| FY 2020 | $1,042 | $1,162 | $1,407 |
Part of the New Haven, CT Metro Area
South Central Connecticut Planning Region is a central county of the New Haven, CT metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for South Central Connecticut 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in South Central Connecticut Planning Region is $1,591 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,969 and a studio is $1,372.
How does South Central Connecticut Planning Region rent compare to the national average?
Rent in South Central Connecticut Planning Region is 66% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,591 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does South Central Connecticut Planning Region rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, South Central Connecticut Planning Region's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,969 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $63,640 ($5,303/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in South Central Connecticut Planning Region.
Which jobs can afford rent in South Central Connecticut 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 $1,591/mo. 7 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in South Central Connecticut Planning Region over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in South Central Connecticut Planning Region went from $1,162 in FY 2020 to $1,591 in FY 2026, a total change of +36.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,591/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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
For South Central Connecticut Planning Region, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,591/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat South Central Connecticut 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 $1,591 implies about $63,640/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 South Central Connecticut 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.