Metro FMR · CBSA 39300 · HUD FY2026

New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area - 28% above the US average.

$1,230
1-bedroom FMR
$1,527
2-bedroom FMR
+4.5%
YoY change
+28%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $1,527 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 30% above the US average, higher than 70% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#116
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+30%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$61,080
income to afford it (30% rule)
+4.5%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

New Bedford: #116 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $85,646, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 17.2% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places New Bedford in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 93,238 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

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: 45.9% of the 248,217 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

$1,203/mo

16.9% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,230/mo

17.2% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,527/mo

21.4% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,831/mo

25.7% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,289/mo

32.1% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·39300

New Bedford: $1,230/mo 1BR · #116 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 39300

  • CBSA 39300
  • 1BR-FMR $1,230
  • 2BR-FMR $1,527
  • RANK-MID #116
  • YOY-UP +4.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +28%
  • IN-ST-LOW #1 MA
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MID 93K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Amherst Town-North
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,107–$1,353
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Amherst Town-Northampton ($350 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where New Bedford sits among every US metro

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

$1,527 Top 30% higher than 70% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $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

CBSA 39300

Counties inside New Bedford

Across 6 HUD counties in CBSA 39300, 2-bedroom FMRs cluster tightly ($1,527–$1,729, 13% spread), so the metro-wide schedule tracks most constituent counties closely.

Kent County 2BR $1,729 · 36K Bristol County 2BR $1,729 · 17K Providence County 2BR $1,729 · 16K Bristol County 2BR $1,527 · 11K Washington County 2BR $1,729 · 8K Newport County 2BR $1,729 · 6K

New Bedford studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #116 nationally

1BR $1,230 (+28% vs US, +4.5% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 39300.

Studio
$1,203
US avg $893
↑11.3% YoY +35% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,230
US avg $959
↑4.5% YoY +28% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,527
US avg $1,175
↑5.5% YoY +30% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,831
US avg $1,525
↑4.9% YoY +20% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,289
US avg $1,756
↑9.6% YoY +30% vs US

How New Bedford compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other MA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows New Bedford highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

New Bedford: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs New Bedford 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).

Lancaster
PA · 2 BR $1,526/mo
Medford
OR · 2 BR $1,530/mo
Spokane
WA · 2 BR $1,531/mo
Kennewick-Richland
WA · 2 BR $1,538/mo

Burden % · outside MA

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

Jerome County
ID · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $1,186/mo
Springfield
MO · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $1,095/mo
Wichita Falls
TX · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $1,136/mo
Lima
OH · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $1,108/mo

New Bedford: quick answers

What is the average rent in the New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,230 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,527 and a studio is $1,203.
How does New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the New Bedford, MA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 28% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,230 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does New Bedford rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,527 ranks #116 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the New Bedford metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 39300, but 6 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $1,527–$1,729 for a 2-bedroom (13% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.

Compare New Bedford vs Amherst Town-Northampton →

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 $1,230/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.