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Salisbury, MD

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Salisbury, MD is $1,378 per month, ranking #249 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $69,592, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 23.8% of income on housing. Rent in Salisbury has increased 5.1% year over year. The area has a population of 129K, with 37.9% of households renting.

23.8%
Moderately Affordable
of income → rent
$1,378
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$69,592
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$1,200
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
+5.1%
Year-over-Year
2BR FMR change
129K
Population
Census ACS
37.9%
Renters
of occupied housing
$228,300
Median Home Value
11.9%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
15%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$1,054
Studio
$1,061
1 Bedroom
$1,378
2 Bedroom
$1,818
3 Bedroom
$1,825
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Salisbury, MD, a household earning the area median income of $69,592 would spend 23.8% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This falls below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, meaning housing is relatively affordable for median-income households in this area.

Income Needed for 2BR
$55,120
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$27
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$1,200
$178 below FMR

5-Year Rent Trend

+31.5% since 2021
$1,0482021$1,0372022$1,1342023$1,3112024$1,4912025$1,3782026

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by fiscal year. Source: HUD FMR API.

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in Maryland is $15.00/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 70.7 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Salisbury is 15%, near the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$15.00/hr
Hours/Week Needed
70.7 hrs
Poverty Rate
15%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Salisbury is $228,300. At a median income of $69,592, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 3.3x. 11.9% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is near the national average.

Rent vs. Buy
$1,598 est. mortgage
vs $1,378 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
11.9%
of housing units

Other Areas in Maryland

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
$2,246/mo
2BR FMR · 21.8% burden
Calvert County
$2,083/mo
2BR FMR · 18.9% burden
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
$1,857/mo
2BR FMR · 22.9% burden
St. Mary's County
$1,833/mo
2BR FMR · 19.2% burden
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
$1,810/mo
2BR FMR · 24.3% burden

Compare Salisbury

vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, MDvs Calvert County, MDvs Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Areas With Similar Rent to Salisbury

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Salisbury, MD is $1,378 per month. A studio is $1,054/mo, a 1-bedroom is $1,061/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $1,818/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $1,200/mo.

Salisbury has a rent burden of 23.8%, meaning a household earning the median income of $69,592 would spend 23.8% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This is below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, indicating relatively affordable housing. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $55,120.

Salisbury's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,378/mo is $128 above the national median of $1,250/mo. Salisbury ranks #249 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Salisbury without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $55,120, or a full-time hourly wage of $27/hour. The area median income is $69,592.

The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Salisbury increased by 5.1% compared to the prior year. This is a significant increase, suggesting growing demand in the local housing market.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.