HUD FMR Data · Updated April 2026
Average Rent in Western Worcester County, MA
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Western Worcester County, MA is $1,532 per month. Western Worcester County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,532 runs about 23% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. A typical local household earning $93,561 would spend 19.6% of pre-tax income on this rent.
Western Worcester County, Massachusetts sits in the middle of the U.S. rental-cost distribution. HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,532, with the full bedroom-size range covered on this page.
Rent burden is manageable at 20 percent of median income — below the federal "cost-burdened" 30 percent threshold. Renters at the area median income have room for savings and other essentials. For renters and prospective movers, the HUD FMR is the asking-rent baseline for a modest unit; actual market rents on freshly-listed units typically run 5-15 percent above the FMR in faster-growing markets. The county vacancy rate (5.7 percent) is the structural indicator of how much availability exists in the local market.
RentIndex draws on HUD Fair Market Rents (annual, by bedroom size, every U.S. county) plus Census ACS housing data (median rent, median household income, rent burden, vacancy rate). Each value on the site refreshes on its source’s publication cadence and stamps the as-of date. The methodology page lists every input with the federal source URL.
A practical caveat for rent-research: HUD FMR is the 40th-percentile baseline for modest units, not a current asking-rent average. In rapidly-growing markets, freshly-listed asking rents typically run 5-20 percent above HUD FMR. Cross-reference the FMR against current Zillow, Apartments.com, or local Craigslist listings before treating the FMR as the rent you will actually pay.
Fair Market Rent by Bedroom in Western Worcester County, MA
Western Worcester County's rent ladder runs from $1,096 for a studio up to $2,570 for a 4-bedroom — a 2.3x spread typical of HUD's FMR formula, which scales each bedroom size against the area 2-bedroom standard. The 2-bedroom unit is HUD's reference category and the figure most often cited in housing policy.
| Size | Monthly FMR |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,096 |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,200 |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,532 |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,131 |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,570 |
How Western Worcester County, MA Compares to the U.S.
Western Worcester County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,532 runs about 23% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. HUD\'s national median 2-bedroom FMR currently sits at $1,250 per month, against a Census-reported national median household income of $71,049.
Fair Market Rent in Western Worcester County jumped 9.5% year over year — a sharp rise that outpaces broad BLS rent CPI. Big annual moves often reflect a tight rental market, but they can also reflect HUD recalibration; cross-check with the BLS rent index before treating it as a pure market signal.
Affordability and Rent Burden
With a median household income of $93,561, a typical Western Worcester County household would spend 19.6% of pre-tax income on a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent — well under HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold and a strong sign that local wages keep pace with rent.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median Household Income (Census ACS) | $93,561 |
| Rent Burden (annualized 2BR FMR / income) | 19.6% |
| Income Needed for 2BR (HUD 30% rule) | $61,280/yr |
Where the Numbers Come From
Every rent figure on this page is HUD\'s published Fair Market Rent for the Western Worcester County, MA FMR area in HUD\'s current fiscal-year release. HUD calculates FMR as the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units, using Census American Community Survey base rents updated with the BLS CPI rent of primary residence. We do not adjust HUD\'s figures. The full step-by-step calculation is on the RentIndex methodology page, and the underlying data is publicly available at HUD User.
Other Massachusetts Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Western Worcester County, MA?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in Western Worcester County, MA is $1,532 per month — the 40th-percentile gross rent for standard-quality, non-substandard rentals in this area. Western Worcester County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,532 runs about 23% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county.
How does Western Worcester County, MA rent compare to the rest of the U.S.?
Western Worcester County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,532 runs about 23% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. Rent in Western Worcester County, MA is set against a national median 2BR FMR of $1,250 and a national median household income of $71,049.
Is rent affordable in Western Worcester County, MA?
With a median household income of $93,561, a typical Western Worcester County household would spend 19.6% of pre-tax income on a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent — well under HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold and a strong sign that local wages keep pace with rent.
Has rent gone up or down in Western Worcester County, MA?
Fair Market Rent in Western Worcester County jumped 9.5% year over year — a sharp rise that outpaces broad BLS rent CPI. Big annual moves often reflect a tight rental market, but they can also reflect HUD recalibration; cross-check with the BLS rent index before treating it as a pure market signal.
What does Fair Market Rent mean and where does the figure come from?
Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units, published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD calculates FMR using American Community Survey base rents trimmed and updated with BLS Consumer Price Index rent indexes, then uses it to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. All rent figures on this page come directly from HUD's public FMR dataset.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (public domain) · huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year. Rent inflation reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI rent of primary residence. Last refreshed April 2026.