Metro FMR · CBSA 11200 · HUD FY2026

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro area - 65% above the US average.

$1,580
1-bedroom FMR
$2,004
2-bedroom FMR
+65%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area rents at $2,004 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 71% above the US average, higher than 92% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#31
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+71%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$80,160
income to afford it (30% rule)

Affordability & income context

Amherst Town-Northampton: #31 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $86,391, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 21.9% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places Amherst Town-Northampton in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 35,472 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#31 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 49.5% of the 19,281 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,382/mo

19.2% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,580/mo

21.9% of median income

2 Bedroom

$2,004/mo

27.8% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,504/mo

34.8% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,702/mo

37.5% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·11200

Amherst Town-Northampton: $1,580/mo 1BR · #31 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 11200

  • CBSA 11200
  • 1BR-FMR $1,580
  • 2BR-FMR $2,004
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-NA YoY pending
  • VSUS-HIGH +65%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #5 MA
  • INC-MID 22%
  • POP-SMALL 35K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Barnstable Town
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,422–$1,738
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Barnstable Town ($266 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Amherst Town-Northampton sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$2,004 Top 8% higher than 92% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). This entry sits in this band. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

Amherst Town-Northampton studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #31 nationally

Each bedroom band is FY2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for CBSA 11200 (35,472 residents).

Studio
$1,382
US avg $893
+55% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,580
US avg $959
+65% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,004
US avg $1,175
+71% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,504
US avg $1,525
+64% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,702
US avg $1,756
+54% vs US

How Amherst Town-Northampton compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other MA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Amherst Town-Northampton highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Amherst Town-Northampton: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Amherst Town-Northampton with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside MA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside MA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Naples-Marco Island
FL · 2 BR $1,986/mo
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh
NY · 2 BR $1,979/mo
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
FL · 2 BR $1,977/mo
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard
WA · 2 BR $2,031/mo

Burden % · outside MA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Atlantic City-Hammonton
NJ · 27.8% of income · 2 BR $1,867/mo
Fresno
CA · 27.8% of income · 2 BR $1,664/mo
Merced
CA · 27.7% of income · 2 BR $1,503/mo
Hinesville
GA · 28% of income · 2 BR $1,406/mo

Amherst Town-Northampton: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA is $1,580 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,004 and a studio is $1,382.
How does Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro area is 65% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,580 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Amherst Town-Northampton rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,004 ranks #31 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $63,200 ($5,267/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area.

Compare Amherst Town-Northampton vs Barnstable Town →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,580/mo · 1BR MA

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.