HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Frederick County, Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Frederick County is $1,573 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,573
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,416 to $1,730
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$62,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
50th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Frederick moves to $1,505. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Frederick actually rent for?
Search any address in Frederick 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 | $1,133 | $1,020 to $1,246 | $45,320 | $21.79/hr | +3.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,255 | $1,130 to $1,381 | $50,200 | $24.13/hr | +0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,573 | $1,416 to $1,730 | $62,920 | $30.25/hr | +0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,965 | $1,769 to $2,162 | $78,600 | $37.79/hr | +0.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,639 | $2,375 to $2,903 | $105,560 | $50.75/hr | +0.2% |
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 | $3,035 | $2,732 to $3,339 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,431 | $3,088 to $3,774 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,827 | $3,444 to $4,210 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,222 | $3,800 to $4,644 |
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 Frederick, that runs from $1,133 for a studio up to $2,639 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 Frederick in with 2 other counties in the Winchester metro, Winchester city, Hampshire County among them, and every one of them gets $1,573 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, Frederick ranks 50th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 25% above the state median of $1,254 and about 55% above the national median county at $1,018. About 92,007 people live here, 23rd in the state.
Counties sharing the Winchester metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,420 in 22645 (Middletown) and $2,360 in 22656 (Stephenson), 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 Frederick somewhere between $1,416 and $1,730. 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.
$1,573 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $62,920 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,416) | HAP at 100% ($1,573) | HAP at 110% ($1,730) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $666 | $823 | $980 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $216 | $373 | $530 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,569) to FY 2026 ($1,573). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.4% 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 | $778 | $783 | $1,027 | $1,368 | $1,803 | — |
| FY 2021 | $814 | $819 | $1,064 | $1,399 | $1,814 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $868 | $868 | $1,117 | $1,444 | $1,886 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $879 | $962 | $1,227 | $1,547 | $2,037 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $983 | $1,104 | $1,390 | $1,734 | $2,347 | +13.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,095 | $1,253 | $1,569 | $1,952 | $2,635 | +12.9% |
| FY 2026 | $1,133 | $1,255 | $1,573 | $1,965 | $2,639 | +0.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,066 | $1,180 | $1,505 | $1,895 | $2,516 | -4.3% |
Nearby counties
Winchester city
$1,5733 mi · pop 28,103
Clarke County
$2,24613 mi · pop 14,882
Warren County
$1,31520 mi · pop 40,800
Shenandoah County
$1,09129 mi · pop 44,337
Loudoun County
$2,24635 mi · pop 420,773
Rappahannock County
$1,37535 mi · pop 7,422
Fauquier County
$2,24639 mi · pop 73,290
Page County
$92442 mi · pop 23,753
Questions people ask
$1,573 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,133 for a studio, $1,255 for one bedroom, $1,965 for three and $2,639 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 Frederick actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Frederick for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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