HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Charlottesville city, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Charlottesville city is $1,824 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,824
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,642 to $2,006
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
19th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Charlottesville moves to $1,642. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Charlottesville actually rent for?
Search any address in Charlottesville 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 | $1,421 | $1,279 to $1,563 | $56,840 | $27.33/hr | +1.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,602 | $1,442 to $1,762 | $64,080 | $30.81/hr | +7.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,824 | $1,642 to $2,006 | $72,960 | $35.08/hr | +5.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,218 | $1,996 to $2,440 | $88,720 | $42.65/hr | +2.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,731 | $2,458 to $3,004 | $109,240 | $52.52/hr | +4.2% |
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 | $3,141 | $2,827 to $3,455 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,550 | $3,195 to $3,905 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,960 | $3,564 to $4,356 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,370 | $3,933 to $4,807 |
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 Charlottesville city the five published rates run from $1,421 to $2,731, studio through four bedrooms.
Charlottesville doesn't get its own number. It sits inside the Charlottesville metro and shares one rate with 4 other cities, including Albemarle County, Fluvanna County, Greene 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. Charlottesville comes in at $1,824, about 45% above that, and ranks 19th of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 79% above. Population is around 46,289.
Counties sharing the Charlottesville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 6 ZIP codes it covers in Charlottesville. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,740 in 22905 (Charlottesville) to $2,050 in 22902 (Charlottesville), a $310 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 $1,642 and $2,006. 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 $72,960 a year to afford $1,824 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $35 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% ($1,642) | HAP at 100% ($1,824) | HAP at 110% ($2,006) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $892 | $1,074 | $1,256 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $442 | $624 | $806 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,729) to FY 2026 ($1,824). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.3% 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 | $854 | $1,082 | $1,262 | $1,573 | $1,942 | — |
| FY 2021 | $949 | $1,077 | $1,266 | $1,575 | $1,965 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $1,024 | $1,063 | $1,264 | $1,562 | $1,959 | -0.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,165 | $1,172 | $1,401 | $1,742 | $2,159 | +10.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,392 | $1,415 | $1,678 | $2,114 | $2,608 | +19.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,404 | $1,487 | $1,729 | $2,155 | $2,621 | +3.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,421 | $1,602 | $1,824 | $2,218 | $2,731 | +5.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,279 | $1,442 | $1,642 | $1,997 | $2,458 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Albemarle County
$1,8246 mi · pop 112,513
Fluvanna County
$1,82418 mi · pop 27,442
Greene County
$1,82418 mi · pop 20,631
Waynesboro city
$1,26123 mi · pop 22,341
Madison County
$1,06627 mi · pop 13,828
Nelson County
$1,82428 mi · pop 14,773
Orange County
$1,23428 mi · pop 36,593
Louisa County
$1,24729 mi · pop 38,106
Questions people ask
$1,824 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,421 for a studio, $1,602 for one bedroom, $2,218 for three and $2,731 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 Charlottesville actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Charlottesville for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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