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)

Amherst Town-Northampton is the 3rd most expensive of 7 HUD-tracked metro areas in MA by 1-bedroom FMR, a state where metro rents vary widely - the priciest metro runs 101% above the cheapest.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro area. Population: 35,472. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro

HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule sets the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA Metro Area (CBSA 11200) 1-bedroom at $1,580, with a studio at $1,382, 2-bedroom at $2,004, 3-bedroom at $2,504, and 4-bedroom at $2,702. These are the 40th percentile of gross rents, utilities included, excluding telephone, meaning roughly 60% of standard-quality rentals in the metro cost more. Because HUD treats a metropolitan statistical area as a single rent market, every county inside the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA CBSA shares these FMR figures, and local housing authorities use them to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards (typically between 90% and 110% of FMR).

Against the national benchmark, a 1-bedroom in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA is 65% above the US 1-bedroom FMR of $959. HUD rebases metro FMRs annually using the American Community Survey and CPI rent components, so the figure changes each fiscal year as new data arrives. Metro-level FMRs often diverge from the rents listed for any single suburb, so renters should view this as the HUD ceiling, not a street-level market rate.

For affordability, the 30% rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,580, that implies a household income of $63,200 per year (about $5,267/month) - a 2-bedroom at $2,004 raises that income floor further. With a metro population of 35,472 and a median household income of $86,391, the gap between FMR and local wages determines how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%). Metro FMR also anchors the Small Area FMR program, which sets ZIP-level payment standards in designated metros to expand voucher choice into higher-opportunity neighborhoods.

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

Fair Market Rents by bedroom (2026)

HUD's FY2026 ceiling for each unit size, with the year-over-year change and how it compares to the US average.

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

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$63,200
$5,267/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$80,160
$6,680/month gross

The local median household income is $86,391 - comfortably above the $80,160 needed to afford a 2-bedroom at FMR, leaving the median household with room under the 30% line.

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 is highlighted. Bars are FY2026 HUD 1-bedroom Fair Market Rents.

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

Nearby & Similar Metro Areas

How Amherst Town-Northampton stacks up against other metro areas in the same state, by 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent.

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy $2,476 Barnstable Town $1,846 Amherst Town-Northampton(this metro) $1,580 Fitchburg-Leominster $1,410 Pittsfield $1,269 New Bedford $1,230
Compare Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA vs Barnstable Town, MA MSA →

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
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.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA? ▼
HUD uses Fair Market Rents to set maximum payment standards for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area. The FY 2026 FMR of $1,580/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline, local housing authorities can set their payment standard between 90% and 110% of FMR.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area? ▼
Fair Market Rent (FMR) is the 40th percentile rent estimate set by HUD for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA metro area. It includes rent plus the cost of utilities (except telephone). FMR is used to determine housing assistance payment amounts, set rent ceilings for certain HUD programs, and evaluate housing affordability.

Rental Guides

How Fair Market Rent Works
What FMR means, how HUD calculates it, and why it matters for renters
Section 8 Housing Guide
How Housing Choice Vouchers work, eligibility, and applying
Understanding Rent Burden
The 30% rule, what cost-burdened means, and how to evaluate affordability
Rent vs. Buy Decision
When renting makes more financial sense than buying a home

Explore Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA rent data

Most expensive metros
National FMR rankings for all metro areas
Rent growth
Which metros are rising fastest year over year
Affordability calculator
The income you need to afford Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA rent
Compare metros
Side-by-side FMR comparison with a nearby metro

What this means for renters

Treat the Amherst Town-Northampton area's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a street-level market rate.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,580 implies about $63,200/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Compare this metro against others before you commit to an area. Compare metros
  • See where it ranks among the metros HUD tracks. View rankings

Metro FMRs are HUD's 40th-percentile benchmark used to set voucher payment standards and often diverge from the rents listed in any single suburb. HUD updates FMRs once a year.

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).

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in each area. HUD publishes updated FMRs annually.

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

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,580/mo · 1BR MA

Coverage

50 states + DC

Every CBSA published by HUD

Update cadence

Annual (FY)

Refreshed within 30 days of HUD release

Source

HUD User

huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html

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.