HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Buckingham County, Virginia (FY 2026)
$959 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Buckingham County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Buckingham is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$959
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$863 to $1,055
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
103rd of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Buckingham moves to $943. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Buckingham actually rent for?
Search any address in Buckingham 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 | $830 | $747 to $913 | $33,200 | $15.96/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $875 | $788 to $963 | $35,000 | $16.83/hr | +4.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $959 | $863 to $1,055 | $38,360 | $18.44/hr | +2.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,266 | $1,139 to $1,393 | $50,640 | $24.35/hr | +7.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,419 | $1,277 to $1,561 | $56,760 | $27.29/hr | +5.7% |
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 | $1,632 | $1,469 to $1,795 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,845 | $1,661 to $2,030 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,058 | $1,852 to $2,264 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,270 | $2,043 to $2,497 |
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 Buckingham, that runs from $830 for a studio up to $1,419 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Buckingham sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Arvonia included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Buckingham ranks 103rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 24% below the state median of $1,254 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 16,869 people live here, 89th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $910 in 23004 (Arvonia) and $1,080 in 23921 (Buckingham), with the 4 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 Buckingham somewhere between $863 and $1,055. 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.
$959 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,360 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($863) | HAP at 100% ($959) | HAP at 110% ($1,055) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $113 | $209 | $305 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($935) to FY 2026 ($959). Since FY 2020 it's up 28% in total, about 4.2% 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 | $513 | $658 | $749 | $1,008 | $1,266 | — |
| FY 2021 | $564 | $652 | $743 | $1,007 | $1,140 | -0.8% |
| FY 2022 | $508 | $631 | $719 | $949 | $1,063 | -3.2% |
| FY 2023 | $630 | $742 | $849 | $1,087 | $1,162 | +18.1% |
| FY 2024 | $825 | $856 | $1,010 | $1,245 | $1,359 | +19.0% |
| FY 2025 | $809 | $834 | $935 | $1,180 | $1,342 | -7.4% |
| FY 2026 | $830 | $875 | $959 | $1,266 | $1,419 | +2.6% |
| FY 2027 | $799 | $866 | $943 | $1,306 | $1,480 | -1.7% |
Nearby counties
Cumberland County
$99713 mi · pop 9,697
Fluvanna County
$1,82421 mi · pop 27,442
Prince Edward County
$1,09424 mi · pop 21,922
Appomattox County
$1,18726 mi · pop 16,253
Nelson County
$1,82428 mi · pop 14,773
Powhatan County
$1,65528 mi · pop 30,503
Amelia County
$1,65529 mi · pop 13,309
Albemarle County
$1,82430 mi · pop 112,513
Questions people ask
$959 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $830 for a studio, $875 for one bedroom, $1,266 for three and $1,419 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 Buckingham actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buckingham for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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