HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Bristol city, Virginia (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Bristol city carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,044 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Bristol keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,044
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$940 to $1,148
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
92nd of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Bristol moves to $1,091. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $720 | $648 to $792 | $28,800 | $13.85/hr | -2.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $818 | $736 to $900 | $32,720 | $15.73/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,044 | $940 to $1,148 | $41,760 | $20.08/hr | +0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,338 | $1,204 to $1,472 | $53,520 | $25.73/hr | -0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,464 | $1,318 to $1,610 | $58,560 | $28.15/hr | -4.8% |
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 | $1,684 | $1,516 to $1,852 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,903 | $1,713 to $2,093 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,123 | $1,911 to $2,335 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,342 | $2,108 to $2,576 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
HUD sets Fair Market Rent once a year, based on what typical units in the area actually rent for, with utilities folded in. FY 2026 runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and in Bristol city the five published rates run from $720 to $1,464, 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 $1,254. Bristol comes in at $1,044, about 17% below that, and ranks 92nd of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 3% above. Population is around 17,036.
Counties sharing the Kingsport-Bristol metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 4 ZIP codes it covers in Bristol. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,060 in 24202 (Bristol) to $1,090 in 24203 (Bristol), a $30 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.
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 $940 and $1,148. 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 $41,760 a year to afford $1,044 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $20 an hour.
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% ($940) | HAP at 100% ($1,044) | HAP at 110% ($1,148) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $190 | $294 | $398 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,043) to FY 2026 ($1,044). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $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 2027 | $760 | $845 | $1,091 | $1,375 | $1,465 | +4.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,044 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $720 for a studio, $818 for one bedroom, $1,338 for three and $1,464 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 Bristol actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bristol for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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