HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Amherst County, Virginia (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Amherst County is $1,117 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,117
-5.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,005–$1,229
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$44,680
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
80th of 133
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $965 | $869–$1,062 | $38,600 | $18.56/hr | -6.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $971 | $874–$1,068 | $38,840 | $18.67/hr | -6.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,117 | $1,005–$1,229 | $44,680 | $21.48/hr | -5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,547 | $1,392–$1,702 | $61,880 | $29.75/hr | -5.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,678 | $1,510–$1,846 | $67,120 | $32.27/hr | -4.1% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,930 | $1,737–$2,123 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,181 | $1,963–$2,399 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,433 | $2,190–$2,676 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,685 | $2,417–$2,954 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $1,005 and $1,229. 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.
$1,117 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,680 a year. Put another way, $21 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,005 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,117 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,229 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $255 | $367 | $479 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $29 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2026 ($1,187) to FY 2027 ($1,117). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 4.5% a year. The Virginia median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $965 | $971 | $1,117 | $1,547 | $1,678 | -5.9% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Amherst, that runs from $965 for a studio up to $1,678 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 $1,117 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 80th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $1,262 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,063. About 31,485 people live here, 57th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 24533 (Clifford) and $1,650 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.
Counties sharing the Lynchburg metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,117 two-bedroom figure as Amherst.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Amherst.
Lynchburg city
11 mi · 79,497 people
$1,117
same rate
Nelson County
19 mi · 14,732 people
$1,642
+47%
Appomattox County
21 mi · 16,610 people
$1,117
same rate
Buena Vista city
21 mi · 6,593 people
$1,057
-5%
Campbell County
24 mi · 55,312 people
$1,117
same rate
Rockbridge County
26 mi · 22,531 people
$1,057
-5%
Lexington city
27 mi · 7,525 people
$1,057
-5%
Bedford County
30 mi · 80,894 people
$1,117
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,117 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $965 for a studio, $971 for one bedroom, $1,547 for three and $1,678 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The 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. Free to start, no card.
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