HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Bristol city, Virginia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Bristol city carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,091 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Bristol keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,091
+4.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$982–$1,200
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$43,640
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
89th 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 | $760 | $684–$836 | $30,400 | $14.62/hr | +5.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $845 | $761–$930 | $33,800 | $16.25/hr | +3.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,091 | $982–$1,200 | $43,640 | $20.98/hr | +4.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,375 | $1,238–$1,513 | $55,000 | $26.44/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,465 | $1,319–$1,612 | $58,600 | $28.17/hr | +0.1% |
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 | $1,685 | $1,517–$1,854 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,905 | $1,715–$2,096 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,124 | $1,912–$2,336 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,344 | $2,110–$2,578 |
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 Bristol actually rent for?
Search any address in Bristol for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
What a voucher pays here
The FMR isn't the check you'd receive. Your local housing authority turns it into a payment standard, set between 90% and 110% of FMR, so a two-bedroom here lands between $982 and $1,200. Subtract about 30% of the tenant's income and that's the housing assistance payment. If you ask more than similar unassisted units rent for, the PHA's rent reasonableness check will push back.
At the standard 30% of income, a household needs about $43,640 a year to afford $1,091 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $21 an hour.
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%$982 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,091 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $232 | $341 | $450 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2026 ($1,044) to FY 2027 ($1,091). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 6.2% 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 | $533 | $542 | $714 | $933 | $1,029 | — |
| FY 2021 | $513 | $533 | $701 | $916 | $1,008 | -1.8% |
| FY 2022 | $524 | $546 | $702 | $920 | $1,012 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $583 | $627 | $793 | $1,041 | $1,170 | +13.0% |
| FY 2024 | $677 | $717 | $905 | $1,179 | $1,335 | +14.1% |
| FY 2025 | $738 | $824 | $1,043 | $1,343 | $1,538 | +15.2% |
| FY 2026 | $720 | $818 | $1,044 | $1,338 | $1,464 | +0.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $760 | $845 | $1,091 | $1,375 | $1,465 | +4.5% |
About this rate
HUD sets Fair Market Rent once a year, based on what typical units in the area actually rent for, with utilities folded in. FY 2027 runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, and in Bristol city the five published rates run from $760 to $1,465, studio through four bedrooms.
Bristol doesn't get its own number. It sits inside the Kingsport-Bristol metro and shares one rate with 4 other cities, including Sullivan County, Hawkins County, Washington County. HUD sets metro FMRs from rents across the whole metro, which is why a rural corner of a big metro can carry a city-sized rate.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,262. Bristol comes in at $1,091, about 14% below that, and ranks 89th of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,063) it's about 3% above. Population is around 16,849.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 4 ZIP codes it covers in Bristol. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,080 in 24202 (Bristol) to $1,120 in 24203 (Bristol), a $40 spread inside one city. Whether your housing authority uses the ZIP rate or the city rate depends on whether HUD has designated this area for Small Area FMRs. Ask the PHA which one it's on before you price a unit.
Counties sharing the Kingsport-Bristol metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,091 two-bedroom figure as Bristol.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Bristol.
Washington County
16 mi · 53,926 people
$1,091
same rate
Scott County
22 mi · 21,479 people
$1,091
same rate
Russell County
25 mi · 25,538 people
$943
-14%
Norton city
33 mi · 3,577 people
$943
-14%
Wise County
34 mi · 35,448 people
$943
-14%
Dickenson County
37 mi · 13,733 people
$943
-14%
Smyth County
38 mi · 29,420 people
$943
-14%
Buchanan County
44 mi · 19,415 people
$943
-14%
Questions people ask
$1,091 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $760 for a studio, $845 for one bedroom, $1,375 for three and $1,465 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 Bristol actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bristol for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.