State ranking · HUD FMR
Maryland: Most Expensive Counties
The highest-cost counties in Maryland by 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY 2026.
- $2,015
- Priciest 1BR — Charles County
- $1,404
- MD avg 1BR
- 24
- Counties ranked
The most expensive county for rent in Maryland is Charles County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $2,015/mo, which is 44% above the state average of $1,404. The national average 1-bedroom FMR is $959.
What "most expensive" really means for Maryland renters
These rankings come straight from HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, which reports the 40th percentile of gross rents (utilities included, except telephone) for every county in Maryland. The top entry is Charles County with a 1-bedroom at $2,015, a studio at $1,953, 2-bedroom at $2,246, 3-bedroom at $2,835, and 4-bedroom at $3,332. Because HUD sets FMR per county (or per metro FMR area), these figures are the ceilings local housing authorities use to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards — typically between 90% and 110% of FMR — which means they also approximate the moderate end of each county's documented rental market.
Compared with the Maryland state average of $1,404 for a 1-bedroom, the most expensive county is 44% above the state benchmark, and 110% above the US average of $959. High-rent counties almost always cluster in dense metropolitan FMR areas where housing supply is constrained, transit access is strong, and local wages support premium rents — which is also why voucher recipients frequently find fewer units at payment-standard rates in these counties without the help of HUD's Small Area FMR program. The ranking across all 24 counties shows the intra-state spread: moving between a top-ranked county and a mid-ranked one can mean hundreds of dollars per month in baseline rent before any amenity premium.
For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says a household needs roughly $80,600/year to afford the most expensive 1-bedroom FMR in Maryland without being cost-burdened — well above the $56,160/year needed to afford the state average. That gap translates directly into rent-burden rates: counties at the top of this list tend to have the highest share of households paying more than 30% of income for rent, and the highest share of severely burdened renters (above 50% of income). Pair this ranking with the year-over-year FMR growth and rent burden pages to see whether today's most expensive counties are still tightening, or whether lower-ranked counties are catching up fastest.
Top 24 Most Expensive Counties in Maryland
| # | County | 1-BR | 2-BR | 3-BR | vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles County | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | +44% |
| 2 | Frederick County | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | +44% |
| 3 | Montgomery County | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | +44% |
| 4 | Prince George's County | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | +44% |
| 5 | Calvert County | $1,851 | $2,083 | $2,639 | +32% |
| 6 | St. Mary's County | $1,672 | $1,833 | $2,264 | +19% |
| 7 | Cecil County | $1,520 | $1,810 | $2,170 | +8% |
| 8 | Anne Arundel County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 9 | Baltimore County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 10 | Carroll County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 11 | Harford County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 12 | Howard County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 13 | Queen Anne's County | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 14 | Baltimore city | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | +8% |
| 15 | Talbot County | $1,282 | $1,409 | $1,960 | -9% |
| 16 | Kent County | $1,137 | $1,246 | $1,635 | -19% |
| 17 | Wicomico County | $1,061 | $1,378 | $1,818 | -24% |
| 18 | Worcester County | $1,035 | $1,194 | $1,661 | -26% |
| 19 | Caroline County | $1,001 | $1,314 | $1,642 | -29% |
| 20 | Washington County | $961 | $1,261 | $1,700 | -32% |
| 21 | Dorchester County | $952 | $1,144 | $1,591 | -32% |
| 22 | Somerset County | $907 | $1,167 | $1,586 | -35% |
| 23 | Garrett County | $864 | $973 | $1,353 | -38% |
| 24 | Allegany County | $823 | $973 | $1,333 | -41% |
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Methodology
Rankings are based on FY 2026 Fair Market Rents (FMR) published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FMR represents the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in a given area. Counties are ranked by 1-bedroom FMR in descending order. "vs State Avg" compares each county's 1-bedroom FMR to the Maryland average.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.