HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Buena Vista city, Virginia (FY 2026)
$1,005 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Buena Vista city, and it's the baseline every voucher in Buena Vista is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,005
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$905 to $1,106
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
95th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Buena Vista moves to $1,057. 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 Buena Vista actually rent for?
Search any address in Buena Vista 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 | $870 | $783 to $957 | $34,800 | $16.73/hr | +12.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $917 | $825 to $1,009 | $36,680 | $17.63/hr | +12.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,005 | $905 to $1,106 | $40,200 | $19.33/hr | +11.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,398 | $1,258 to $1,538 | $55,920 | $26.88/hr | +11.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,686 | $1,517 to $1,855 | $67,440 | $32.42/hr | +11.7% |
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 | $1,939 | $1,745 to $2,133 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,192 | $1,973 to $2,411 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,445 | $2,201 to $2,690 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,698 | $2,428 to $2,968 |
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 Buena Vista city the five published rates run from $870 to $1,686, studio through four bedrooms.
Buena Vista is a nonmetro city, so HUD sets its FMR from rents in the city itself rather than a wider metro. The number applies city-wide, from Buena Vista on out.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,254. Buena Vista comes in at $1,005, about 20% below that, and ranks 95th of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's within a couple percent of. Population is around 6,639.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the one ZIP code it covers in Buena Vista, the two-bedroom rate is $1,040 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24416 | Buena Vista | $1,040 | +3.5% |
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 $905 and $1,106. 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 $40,200 a year to afford $1,005 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $19 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% ($905) | HAP at 100% ($1,005) | HAP at 110% ($1,106) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $155 | $255 | $356 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($1,005). Since FY 2020 it's up 26% in total, about 3.9% 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 | $519 | $665 | $797 | $1,060 | $1,165 | — |
| FY 2021 | $508 | $620 | $770 | $1,029 | $1,049 | -3.4% |
| FY 2022 | $520 | $660 | $762 | $1,030 | $1,033 | -1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $615 | $735 | $830 | $1,172 | $1,197 | +8.9% |
| FY 2024 | $772 | $842 | $945 | $1,332 | $1,466 | +13.9% |
| FY 2025 | $777 | $812 | $899 | $1,260 | $1,510 | -4.9% |
| FY 2026 | $870 | $917 | $1,005 | $1,398 | $1,686 | +11.8% |
| FY 2027 | $896 | $971 | $1,057 | $1,464 | $1,767 | +5.2% |
Nearby counties
Rockbridge County
$1,0056 mi · pop 22,673
Lexington city
$1,0057 mi · pop 7,346
Amherst County
$1,18721 mi · pop 31,426
Alleghany County
$91426 mi · pop 15,159
Nelson County
$1,82426 mi · pop 14,773
Lynchburg city
$1,18726 mi · pop 79,166
Augusta County
$1,26131 mi · pop 77,433
Bedford County
$1,18731 mi · pop 79,761
Questions people ask
$1,005 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $870 for a studio, $917 for one bedroom, $1,398 for three and $1,686 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 Buena Vista actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buena Vista for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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