HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Fairfax city, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Fairfax city is $2,246 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,246
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,021 to $2,471
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$89,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
10th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Fairfax moves to $2,438. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Fairfax actually rent for?
Search any address in Fairfax 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 | $1,953 | $1,758 to $2,148 | $78,120 | $37.56/hr | -2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,015 | $1,814 to $2,217 | $80,600 | $38.75/hr | -2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,246 | $2,021 to $2,471 | $89,840 | $43.19/hr | -2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,835 | $2,552 to $3,119 | $113,400 | $54.52/hr | -2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,332 | $2,999 to $3,665 | $133,280 | $64.08/hr | -2.4% |
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 | $3,832 | $3,449 to $4,215 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,332 | $3,899 to $4,765 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,831 | $4,348 to $5,314 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,331 | $4,798 to $5,864 |
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 Fairfax city the five published rates run from $1,953 to $3,332, studio through four bedrooms.
Fairfax doesn't get its own number. It sits inside the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro and shares one rate with 18 other cities, including Fairfax County, Montgomery County, Prince George's 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. Fairfax comes in at $2,246, about 79% above that, and ranks 10th of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 121% above. Population is around 24,242.
Counties sharing the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro rate
Fairfax County
$2,246VA · pop 1,145,354
Montgomery County
$2,246MD · pop 1,056,910
Prince George's County
$2,246MD · pop 957,189
District of Columbia
$2,246DC · pop 670,587
Prince William County
$2,246VA · pop 481,114
Loudoun County
$2,246VA · pop 420,773
Frederick County
$2,246MD · pop 273,829
Arlington County
$2,246VA · pop 235,845
Charles County
$2,246MD · pop 167,035
Stafford County
$2,246VA · pop 157,606
Alexandria city
$2,246VA · pop 157,594
Spotsylvania County
$2,246VA · pop 141,097
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 3 ZIP codes it covers in Fairfax. Two-bedroom rates run from $2,310 in 22038 (Fairfax) to $2,720 in 22031 (Fairfax), a $410 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 $2,021 and $2,471. 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 $89,840 a year to afford $2,246 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $43 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% ($2,021) | HAP at 100% ($2,246) | HAP at 110% ($2,471) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,271 | $1,496 | $1,721 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $821 | $1,046 | $1,271 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($2,314) to FY 2026 ($2,246). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% 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 | $1,457 | $1,500 | $1,707 | $2,215 | $2,707 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,513 | $1,548 | $1,765 | $2,263 | $2,742 | +3.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,539 | $1,567 | $1,785 | $2,260 | $2,713 | +1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $1,589 | $1,615 | $1,838 | $2,299 | $2,742 | +3.0% |
| FY 2024 | $1,772 | $1,803 | $2,045 | $2,544 | $3,015 | +11.3% |
| FY 2025 | $2,012 | $2,056 | $2,314 | $2,893 | $3,413 | +13.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,953 | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | $3,332 | -2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $2,111 | $2,204 | $2,438 | $3,107 | $3,658 | +8.5% |
Nearby counties
Fairfax County
$2,2463 mi · pop 1,145,354
Falls Church city
$2,2467 mi · pop 14,576
Arlington County
$2,24611 mi · pop 235,845
Manassas Park city
$2,24611 mi · pop 17,123
Alexandria city
$2,24612 mi · pop 157,594
Prince William County
$2,24613 mi · pop 481,114
Manassas city
$2,24613 mi · pop 42,620
Loudoun County
$2,24622 mi · pop 420,773
Questions people ask
$2,246 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,953 for a studio, $2,015 for one bedroom, $2,835 for three and $3,332 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 Fairfax actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Fairfax for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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