HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Chesterfield County, Virginia (FY 2026)
$1,655 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Chesterfield County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Chesterfield is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,655
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,490 to $1,821
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$66,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
36th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Chesterfield moves to $1,651. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Richmond are asking $1,540. HUD says $1,655.
That's 7% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 20 Richmond ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,442 | $1,298 to $1,586 | $57,680 | $27.73/hr | -3.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,507 | $1,356 to $1,658 | $60,280 | $28.98/hr | -2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,655 | $1,490 to $1,821 | $66,200 | $31.83/hr | -3.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,072 | $1,865 to $2,279 | $82,880 | $39.85/hr | -4.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,553 | $2,298 to $2,808 | $102,120 | $49.10/hr | -4.6% |
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 | $2,936 | $2,642 to $3,230 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,319 | $2,987 to $3,651 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,702 | $3,332 to $4,072 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,085 | $3,677 to $4,494 |
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 Chesterfield, that runs from $1,442 for a studio up to $2,553 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Chesterfield in with 15 other counties in the Richmond metro, Henrico County, Richmond city, Hanover County among them, and every one of them gets $1,655 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Chesterfield ranks 36th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 32% above the state median of $1,254 and about 63% above the national median county at $1,018. About 366,019 people live here, 5th in the state.
Counties sharing the Richmond metro rate
Henrico County
$1,655VA · pop 333,120
Richmond city
$1,655VA · pop 227,171
Hanover County
$1,655VA · pop 110,513
Prince George County
$1,655VA · pop 42,634
Petersburg city
$1,655VA · pop 33,261
Powhatan County
$1,655VA · pop 30,503
Dinwiddie County
$1,655VA · pop 28,057
Goochland County
$1,655VA · pop 24,906
New Kent County
$1,655VA · pop 23,296
Hopewell city
$1,655VA · pop 23,046
Colonial Heights city
$1,655VA · pop 18,158
King William County
$1,655VA · pop 17,845
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,540 in 23234 (Richmond) and $2,480 in 23120 (Moseley), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23112 | Midlothian | $1,980 | +19.6% |
| 23113 | Midlothian | $2,000 | +20.8% |
| 23114 | Midlothian | $1,970 | +19.0% |
| 23120 | Moseley | $2,480 | +49.8% |
| 23234 | Richmond | $1,540 | -6.9% |
| 23235 | Richmond | $1,910 | +15.4% |
| 23236 | Richmond | $1,970 | +19.0% |
| 23237 | Richmond | $1,640 | -0.9% |
| 23297 | Richmond | $1,800 | +8.8% |
| 23831 | Chester | $1,840 | +11.2% |
| 23832 | Chesterfield | $2,170 | +31.1% |
| 23836 | Chester | $1,930 | +16.6% |
| 23838 | Chesterfield | $1,740 | +5.1% |
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 Chesterfield somewhere between $1,490 and $1,821. 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.
$1,655 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $66,200 a year. Put another way, $32 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% ($1,490) | HAP at 100% ($1,655) | HAP at 110% ($1,821) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $740 | $905 | $1,071 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $290 | $455 | $621 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($1,711) to FY 2026 ($1,655). Since FY 2020 it's up 56% in total, about 7.7% 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 | $1,022 | $1,044 | $1,189 | $1,556 | $1,864 | +2.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,157 | $1,183 | $1,336 | $1,727 | $2,100 | +12.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,328 | $1,365 | $1,532 | $1,959 | $2,393 | +14.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,488 | $1,545 | $1,711 | $2,166 | $2,677 | +11.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,442 | $1,507 | $1,655 | $2,072 | $2,553 | -3.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,456 | $1,517 | $1,651 | $2,039 | $2,499 | -0.2% |
Nearby counties
Richmond city
$1,6559 mi · pop 227,171
Henrico County
$1,65511 mi · pop 333,120
Colonial Heights city
$1,65514 mi · pop 18,158
Hopewell city
$1,65517 mi · pop 23,046
Petersburg city
$1,65517 mi · pop 33,261
Powhatan County
$1,65521 mi · pop 30,503
Prince George County
$1,65521 mi · pop 42,634
Dinwiddie County
$1,65523 mi · pop 28,057
Questions people ask
$1,655 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,442 for a studio, $1,507 for one bedroom, $2,072 for three and $2,553 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 Chesterfield actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Chesterfield for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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