HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Essex County is $1,113 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,113
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,002 to $1,224
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
81st of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Essex moves to $1,155. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Essex actually rent for?
Search any address in Essex 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 | $907 | $816 to $998 | $36,280 | $17.44/hr | +12.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $912 | $821 to $1,003 | $36,480 | $17.54/hr | +11.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,113 | $1,002 to $1,224 | $44,520 | $21.40/hr | +10.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,341 | $1,207 to $1,475 | $53,640 | $25.79/hr | +7.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,556 | $1,400 to $1,712 | $62,240 | $29.92/hr | +8.2% |
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 | $1,789 | $1,610 to $1,968 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,023 | $1,821 to $2,225 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,256 | $2,030 to $2,482 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,490 | $2,241 to $2,739 |
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 Essex, that runs from $907 for a studio up to $1,556 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Essex 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, Caret included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Essex ranks 81st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $1,254 and about 9% above the national median county at $1,018. About 10,602 people live here, 115th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,090 in 22454 (Dunnsville) and $1,260 in 22438 (Champlain), with the 9 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 Essex somewhere between $1,002 and $1,224. 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.
$1,113 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,520 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($1,002) | HAP at 100% ($1,113) | HAP at 110% ($1,224) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $252 | $363 | $474 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $24 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($1,006) to FY 2026 ($1,113). Since FY 2020 it's up 17% in total, about 2.6% 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 | $642 | $723 | $952 | $1,186 | $1,430 | — |
| FY 2021 | $603 | $697 | $895 | $1,113 | $1,321 | -6.0% |
| FY 2022 | $594 | $685 | $870 | $1,075 | $1,287 | -2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $690 | $746 | $930 | $1,188 | $1,400 | +6.9% |
| FY 2024 | $834 | $839 | $1,041 | $1,321 | $1,597 | +11.9% |
| FY 2025 | $810 | $815 | $1,006 | $1,246 | $1,438 | -3.4% |
| FY 2026 | $907 | $912 | $1,113 | $1,341 | $1,556 | +10.6% |
| FY 2027 | $936 | $942 | $1,155 | $1,396 | $1,653 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
King and Queen County
$1,25014 mi · pop 6,681
Richmond County
$1,15714 mi · pop 8,968
Westmoreland County
$1,19416 mi · pop 18,480
King William County
$1,65517 mi · pop 17,845
Caroline County
$1,24625 mi · pop 31,181
King George County
$1,46926 mi · pop 26,985
Lancaster County
$1,05227 mi · pop 10,866
Northumberland County
$1,30928 mi · pop 12,007
Questions people ask
$1,113 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $907 for a studio, $912 for one bedroom, $1,341 for three and $1,556 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 Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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