HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Albemarle County, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Albemarle County is $1,824 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,824
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,642 to $2,006
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
15th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Albemarle moves to $1,642. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Albemarle actually rent for?
Search any address in Albemarle for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,421 | $1,279 to $1,563 | $56,840 | $27.33/hr | +1.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,602 | $1,442 to $1,762 | $64,080 | $30.81/hr | +7.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,824 | $1,642 to $2,006 | $72,960 | $35.08/hr | +5.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,218 | $1,996 to $2,440 | $88,720 | $42.65/hr | +2.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,731 | $2,458 to $3,004 | $109,240 | $52.52/hr | +4.2% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $3,141 | $2,827 to $3,455 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,550 | $3,195 to $3,905 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,960 | $3,564 to $4,356 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,370 | $3,933 to $4,807 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Albemarle, that runs from $1,421 for a studio up to $2,731 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Albemarle in with 4 other counties in the Charlottesville metro, Charlottesville city, Fluvanna County, Greene County among them, and every one of them gets $1,824 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Albemarle ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 45% above the state median of $1,254 and about 79% above the national median county at $1,018. About 112,513 people live here, 16th in the state.
Counties sharing the Charlottesville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,560 in 22931 (Covesville) and $2,150 in 22932 (Crozet), with the 15 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22901 | Charlottesville | $1,940 | +6.4% |
| 22909 | Charlottesville | $1,824County rate | — |
| 22911 | Charlottesville | $2,120 | +16.2% |
| 22924 | Batesville | $1,930 | +5.8% |
| 22931 | Covesville | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22932 | Crozet | $2,150 | +17.9% |
| 22936 | Earlysville | $1,970 | +8.0% |
| 22937 | Esmont | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22940 | Free Union | $1,980 | +8.6% |
| 22943 | Greenwood | $1,750 | -4.1% |
| 22945 | Ivy | $1,930 | +5.8% |
| 22946 | Keene | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22947 | Keswick | $1,990 | +9.1% |
| 22959 | North Garden | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22987 | White Hall | $1,824County rate | — |
| 24562 | Howardsville | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 24590 | Scottsville | $1,560 | -14.5% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Albemarle somewhere between $1,642 and $2,006. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,824 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $72,960 a year. Put another way, $35 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,642) | HAP at 100% ($1,824) | HAP at 110% ($2,006) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $892 | $1,074 | $1,256 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $442 | $624 | $806 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,729) to FY 2026 ($1,824). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.3% a year. The Virginia median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $854 | $1,082 | $1,262 | $1,573 | $1,942 | — |
| FY 2021 | $949 | $1,077 | $1,266 | $1,575 | $1,965 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $1,024 | $1,063 | $1,264 | $1,562 | $1,959 | -0.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,165 | $1,172 | $1,401 | $1,742 | $2,159 | +10.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,392 | $1,415 | $1,678 | $2,114 | $2,608 | +19.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,404 | $1,487 | $1,729 | $2,155 | $2,621 | +3.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,421 | $1,602 | $1,824 | $2,218 | $2,731 | +5.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,279 | $1,442 | $1,642 | $1,997 | $2,458 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Charlottesville city
$1,8246 mi · pop 46,289
Waynesboro city
$1,26118 mi · pop 22,341
Fluvanna County
$1,82421 mi · pop 27,442
Greene County
$1,82421 mi · pop 20,631
Nelson County
$1,82423 mi · pop 14,773
Staunton city
$1,26128 mi · pop 25,581
Augusta County
$1,26130 mi · pop 77,433
Buckingham County
$95930 mi · pop 16,869
Questions people ask
$1,824 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,421 for a studio, $1,602 for one bedroom, $2,218 for three and $2,731 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Albemarle actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Albemarle for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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