Metro FMR · CBSA 12700 · HUD FY2026

Barnstable Town, MA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Barnstable Town, MA MSA metro area - 92% above the US average.

$1,846
1-bedroom FMR
$2,422
2-bedroom FMR
+3.2%
YoY change
+92%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Barnstable Town, MA MSA area rents at $2,422 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 106% above the US average, higher than 96% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#15
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+106%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$96,880
income to afford it (30% rule)
+3.2%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Barnstable Town is the 2nd 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 Barnstable Town, MA MSA metro area. Population: 49,232. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for the Barnstable Town, MA MSA metro

HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule sets the Barnstable Town, MA MSA Metro Area (CBSA 12700) 1-bedroom at $1,846, with a studio at $1,834, 2-bedroom at $2,422, 3-bedroom at $2,985, and 4-bedroom at $3,428. 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 Barnstable Town, 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 Barnstable Town, MA MSA is 92% above the US 1-bedroom FMR of $959. Year-over-year the 1-bedroom FMR shifted from $1,788 in FY 2025 to $1,846 in FY 2026 - a change of +3.2%, which outpaces typical consumer inflation and signals continued demand pressure. 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 $1,846, that implies a household income of $73,840 per year (about $6,153/month) - a 2-bedroom at $2,422 raises that income floor further. With a metro population of 49,232 and a median household income of $94,452, 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 Barnstable Town sits among every US metro

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

$2,422 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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
$1,834
US avg $893
↑5.5% YoY +105% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,846
US avg $959
↑3.2% YoY +92% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,422
US avg $1,175
↑3.2% YoY +106% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,985
US avg $1,525
↑3.7% YoY +96% vs US
4 Bedroom
$3,428
US avg $1,756
↑3.6% YoY +95% vs US

Year over year, the 1-bedroom moved from $1,788 in FY2025 to $1,846 in FY2026 - a change of +3.2%, outpacing typical consumer inflation.

Affordability Snapshot

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

Required annual income for 1 BR
$73,840
$6,153/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$96,880
$8,073/month gross

The local median household income is $94,452 - 3% short of the $96,880 a household needs to afford a 2-bedroom at FMR without being rent-burdened, so the typical household here is squeezed by housing costs.

How Barnstable Town compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other MA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Barnstable Town 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 Barnstable Town stacks up against other metro areas in the same state, by 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in the Barnstable Town, MA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Barnstable Town, MA MSA is $1,846 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,422 and a studio is $1,834.
How does Barnstable Town, MA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Barnstable Town, MA MSA metro area is 92% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,846 compared to $959 nationally.
What income do I need to afford rent in Barnstable Town, MA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $73,840 ($6,153/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Barnstable Town, MA MSA area.
Is rent going up or down in Barnstable Town, MA MSA? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Barnstable Town, MA MSA increased by 3.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,788 to $1,846.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Barnstable Town, MA MSA? ▼
HUD uses Fair Market Rents to set maximum payment standards for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) in the Barnstable Town, MA MSA area. The FY 2026 FMR of $1,846/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 Barnstable Town, MA MSA area? ▼
Fair Market Rent (FMR) is the 40th percentile rent estimate set by HUD for the Barnstable Town, 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 Barnstable Town, 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 Barnstable Town, MA MSA rent
Compare metros
Side-by-side FMR comparison with a nearby metro

What this means for renters

Treat the Barnstable Town 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 $1,846 implies about $73,840/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 $1,846/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.