County FMR · HUD FY2026

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT - 56% above the US average.

$1,496
1-bedroom FMR
$1,866
2-bedroom FMR
+56%
vs US avg

The verdict

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is the 4th most expensive of 9 counties in Connecticut by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #157 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#157
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#4
most expensive of 9 in Connecticut (2BR)
-6%
vs the state average
$59,840
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (52.8%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut at $1,496 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,866/mo and a studio is $1,287/mo. This is 56% higher than the national average of $959 and 6% below the Connecticut average of $1,590.

Clearing the 30% rule here takes $59,840/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Connecticut. Population: 2,373.

FMR filing desk

Area SOUTHEASTERN·CONNECTICUT·PLANNING·REGION·CT·CT

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT: $1,496/mo 1BR · #157 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA CT
  • 1BR-FMR $1,496
  • 2BR-FMR $1,866
  • RANK-UPPER #157
  • YOY-NA YoY pending
  • VSUS-HIGH +56%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -6% CT
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-SMALL 2K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Greater Bridgeport
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,346–$1,646
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Greater Bridgeport Planning Region ($604 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,351 · US avg: $893
$1,287/mo
-5% vs state +44% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,590 · US avg: $959
$1,496/mo
-6% vs state +56% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,955 · US avg: $1,175
$1,866/mo
-5% vs state +59% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,415 · US avg: $1,525
$2,406/mo
-0% vs state +58% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,852 · US avg: $1,756
$2,988/mo
+5% vs state +70% vs US

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
18.3%
Affordable
Need $51,480/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
21.3%
Affordable
Need $59,840/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
26.6%
Affordable
Need $74,640/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
34.3%
Burdened
Need $96,240/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
42.6%
Burdened
Need $119,520/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%26.6%
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $84,185 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Connecticut rent burden →

Where Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region sits among every US county

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

$1,866 Top 5% higher than 95% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Connecticut counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Southeastern 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), Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (this county) ($1,496), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region ($1,445).

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 $1,496/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 13.7% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $130,230 13.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $101,590 17.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $89,630 20% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $82,820 21.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $78,740 22.8% Affordable
Electricians $76,790 23.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $63,260 28.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,700 30.6% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $47,260 38% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $44,190 40.6% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $37,160 48.3% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $36,800 48.8% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $35,350 50.8% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $33,980 52.8% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Connecticut) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

6-year Fair Market Rent history for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 59.5% overall, from $938 to $1,496. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +18.4% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$800$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2026 $1,496
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑18.4% $1,287 $1,496 $1,866
FY 2024 ↑7.3% $1,055 $1,263 $1,556
FY 2023 ↑17.0% $970 $1,177 $1,450
FY 2022 ↑3.1% $833 $1,006 $1,254
FY 2021 ↑4.1% $810 $976 $1,227
FY 2020 $815 $938 $1,191
Total change (6yr): +59.5%
Annualized: +8.1%/yr
1 BR: $938 → $1,496

Part of the Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT Metro Area

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is a central county of the Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Southeastern 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).

Franklin County
MA · 2 BR $1,866/mo
Atlantic County
NJ · 2 BR $1,867/mo
Washoe County
NV · 2 BR $1,870/mo
Storey County
NV · 2 BR $1,870/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Washington County
NC · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $925/mo
Chicot County
AR · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Whatcom County
WA · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $1,794/mo
McMullen County
TX · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $1,015/mo

Nearby Counties in Connecticut

Largest counties by population in Connecticut

Showing the 8 largest of 16 other counties in Connecticut.

Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
1 BR: $2,100/mo Pop: 148,012
Western Connecticut Planning Region
1 BR: $2,100/mo Pop: 20,498
Fairfield County
1 BR: -/mo Pop: 19,822
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
1 BR: $1,445/mo Pop: 18,951
New Haven County
1 BR: -/mo Pop: 18,709
Hartford County
1 BR: -/mo Pop: 18,302
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
1 BR: $1,591/mo Pop: 5,280
Windham County
1 BR: -/mo Pop: 4,233
View all counties in Connecticut →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is $1,496 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,866 and a studio is $1,287.
How does Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is 56% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,496 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,866 ranks #157 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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $59,840 ($4,987/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
Which jobs can afford rent in Southeastern 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 $1,496/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region went from $938 in FY 2020 to $1,496 in FY 2026, a total change of +59.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region? ▼
In Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,496/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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region? ▼
For Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,496/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.