HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Amherst County, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Amherst County is $1,187 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,187
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,068 to $1,306
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
75th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Amherst moves to $1,117. That's down 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Amherst actually rent for?
Search any address in Amherst 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 | $1,027 | $924 to $1,130 | $41,080 | $19.75/hr | -1.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,033 | $930 to $1,136 | $41,320 | $19.87/hr | -2.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,187 | $1,068 to $1,306 | $47,480 | $22.83/hr | -1.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,635 | $1,472 to $1,799 | $65,400 | $31.44/hr | -0.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,750 | $1,575 to $1,925 | $70,000 | $33.65/hr | -2.0% |
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 | $2,013 | $1,812 to $2,214 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,275 | $2,048 to $2,503 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,538 | $2,284 to $2,792 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,800 | $2,520 to $3,080 |
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 Amherst, that runs from $1,027 for a studio up to $1,750 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 Amherst in with 4 other counties in the Lynchburg metro, Bedford County, Lynchburg city, Campbell County among them, and every one of them gets $1,187 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, Amherst ranks 75th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $1,254 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,018. About 31,426 people live here, 55th in the state.
Counties sharing the Lynchburg metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,080 in 24533 (Clifford) and $1,560 in 24521 (Amherst), with the 5 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.
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 Amherst somewhere between $1,068 and $1,306. 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.
$1,187 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,480 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,068) | HAP at 100% ($1,187) | HAP at 110% ($1,306) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $318 | $437 | $556 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $106 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,200) to FY 2026 ($1,187). 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 | $630 | $676 | $821 | $1,106 | $1,339 | — |
| FY 2021 | $633 | $660 | $784 | $1,053 | $1,241 | -4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $742 | $743 | $863 | $1,164 | $1,322 | +10.1% |
| FY 2023 | $805 | $819 | $930 | $1,264 | $1,393 | +7.8% |
| FY 2024 | $948 | $966 | $1,093 | $1,494 | $1,627 | +17.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,043 | $1,062 | $1,200 | $1,647 | $1,785 | +9.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,027 | $1,033 | $1,187 | $1,635 | $1,750 | -1.1% |
| FY 2027 | $965 | $971 | $1,117 | $1,547 | $1,678 | -5.9% |
Nearby counties
Lynchburg city
$1,18711 mi · pop 79,166
Nelson County
$1,82419 mi · pop 14,773
Appomattox County
$1,18721 mi · pop 16,253
Buena Vista city
$1,00521 mi · pop 6,639
Campbell County
$1,18724 mi · pop 55,518
Rockbridge County
$1,00526 mi · pop 22,673
Lexington city
$1,00527 mi · pop 7,346
Bedford County
$1,18730 mi · pop 79,761
Questions people ask
$1,187 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,027 for a studio, $1,033 for one bedroom, $1,635 for three and $1,750 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 Amherst actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Amherst for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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