Metro FMR · CBSA 12620 · HUD FY2026

Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area metro area - 11% above the US average.

$1,061
1-bedroom FMR
$1,392
2-bedroom FMR
+20.6%
YoY change
+11%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $1,392 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 18% above the US average, higher than 61% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#151
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+18%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$55,680
income to afford it (30% rule)
+20.6%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Penobscot County: #151 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $63,248, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 20.1% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

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

With 783 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: 44.1% of the 19,249 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

$982/mo

18.6% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,061/mo

20.1% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,392/mo

26.4% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,799/mo

34.1% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,010/mo

38.1% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·12620

Penobscot County: $1,061/mo 1BR · #151 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 12620

  • CBSA 12620
  • 1BR-FMR $1,061
  • 2BR-FMR $1,392
  • RANK-MID #151
  • YOY-SURGE +20.6%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +11%
  • IN-ST-LOW #1 ME
  • INC-MID 20%
  • POP-SMALL 783
  • PHOTO-NEAR Cumberland County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $955–$1,167
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cumberland County ($336 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Penobscot County sits among every US metro

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

$1,392 Top 39% higher than 61% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $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

Penobscot County studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #151 nationally

1BR $1,061 (+11% vs US, +20.6% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 12620.

Studio
$982
US avg $893
↑17.0% YoY +10% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,061
US avg $959
↑20.6% YoY +11% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,392
US avg $1,175
↑20.5% YoY +18% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,799
US avg $1,525
↑23.6% YoY +18% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,010
US avg $1,756
↑16.7% YoY +14% vs US

How Penobscot County compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs metros with similar rent levels

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Penobscot County highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Penobscot County: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Penobscot County with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside ME (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside ME

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Syracuse
NY · 2 BR $1,392/mo
Chattanooga
TN · 2 BR $1,390/mo
Crook County
OR · 2 BR $1,385/mo
Tucson
AZ · 2 BR $1,402/mo

Burden % · outside ME

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

Modesto
CA · 26.5% of income · 2 BR $1,758/mo
Bakersfield-Delano
CA · 26.3% of income · 2 BR $1,483/mo
Redding
CA · 26.5% of income · 2 BR $1,590/mo
Homosassa Springs
FL · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $1,225/mo

Penobscot County: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,061 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,392 and a studio is $982.
How does Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 11% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,061 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Penobscot County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,392 ranks #151 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $42,440 ($3,537/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Penobscot County, ME (part) HUD Metro FMR Area area.

Compare Penobscot County vs Cumberland County →

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 $1,061/mo · 1BR ME

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.