HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Caroline County, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Caroline County is $1,246 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,246
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,121 to $1,371
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
72nd of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Caroline moves to $1,244. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Caroline actually rent for?
Search any address in Caroline 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 | $859 | $773 to $945 | $34,360 | $16.52/hr | -4.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,021 | $919 to $1,123 | $40,840 | $19.63/hr | +12.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,246 | $1,121 to $1,371 | $49,840 | $23.96/hr | +11.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,733 | $1,560 to $1,906 | $69,320 | $33.33/hr | +10.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,090 | $1,881 to $2,299 | $83,600 | $40.19/hr | +12.4% |
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 | $2,404 | $2,164 to $2,644 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,717 | $2,445 to $2,989 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,031 | $2,728 to $3,334 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,344 | $3,010 to $3,678 |
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 Caroline, that runs from $859 for a studio up to $2,090 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Caroline 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, Bowling Green included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Caroline ranks 72nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,254 and about 22% above the national median county at $1,018. About 31,181 people live here, 56th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 22427 (Bowling Green) and $1,560 in 22546 (Ruther Glen), with the 8 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22427 | Bowling Green | $1,010 | -18.9% |
| 22428 | Bowling Green | $1,246County rate | — |
| 22446 | Corbin | $1,250 | +0.3% |
| 22501 | Ladysmith | $1,250 | +0.3% |
| 22514 | Milford | $1,200 | -3.7% |
| 22535 | Port Royal | $1,450 | +16.4% |
| 22538 | Rappahannock Academy | $1,410 | +13.2% |
| 22546 | Ruther Glen | $1,560 | +25.2% |
| 22552 | Sparta | $1,246County rate | — |
| 22580 | Woodford | $1,270 | +1.9% |
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 Caroline somewhere between $1,121 and $1,371. 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.
$1,246 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,840 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,121) | HAP at 100% ($1,246) | HAP at 110% ($1,371) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $371 | $496 | $621 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $46 | $171 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($1,119) to FY 2026 ($1,246). Since FY 2020 it's up 17% in total, about 2.7% 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 | $899 | $932 | $1,061 | $1,410 | $1,686 | — |
| FY 2021 | $993 | $1,020 | $1,163 | $1,538 | $1,840 | +9.6% |
| FY 2022 | $894 | $918 | $1,047 | $1,385 | $1,656 | -10.0% |
| FY 2023 | $805 | $847 | $1,056 | $1,501 | $1,664 | +0.9% |
| FY 2024 | $946 | $952 | $1,181 | $1,664 | $1,946 | +11.8% |
| FY 2025 | $901 | $906 | $1,119 | $1,568 | $1,859 | -5.2% |
| FY 2026 | $859 | $1,021 | $1,246 | $1,733 | $2,090 | +11.3% |
| FY 2027 | $866 | $1,028 | $1,244 | $1,723 | $2,079 | -0.2% |
Nearby counties
King George County
$1,46917 mi · pop 26,985
Spotsylvania County
$2,24617 mi · pop 141,097
Fredericksburg city
$2,24618 mi · pop 28,258
Hanover County
$1,65524 mi · pop 110,513
Essex County
$1,11325 mi · pop 10,602
Stafford County
$2,24626 mi · pop 157,606
King William County
$1,65529 mi · pop 17,845
Westmoreland County
$1,19433 mi · pop 18,480
Questions people ask
$1,246 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $859 for a studio, $1,021 for one bedroom, $1,733 for three and $2,090 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 Caroline actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Caroline for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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