HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Highland County, Virginia (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Highland County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $914 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Highland keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$914
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$823 to $1,005
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
119th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Highland moves to $943. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Highland actually rent for?
Search any address in Highland 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 | $745 | $671 to $820 | $29,800 | $14.33/hr | +8.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $749 | $674 to $824 | $29,960 | $14.40/hr | +8.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $914 | $823 to $1,005 | $36,560 | $17.58/hr | +7.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,233 | $1,110 to $1,356 | $49,320 | $23.71/hr | +11.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,429 | $1,286 to $1,572 | $57,160 | $27.48/hr | +7.4% |
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 | $1,643 | $1,479 to $1,807 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,858 | $1,672 to $2,044 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,072 | $1,865 to $2,279 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,286 | $2,057 to $2,515 |
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 Highland, that runs from $745 for a studio up to $1,429 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Highland 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, Blue Grass included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Highland ranks 119th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% below the state median of $1,254 and about 10% below the national median county at $1,018. About 2,247 people live here, 133rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 5 ZIP codes it covers in Highland, the two-bedroom rate is $910 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
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 Highland somewhere between $823 and $1,005. 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.
$914 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,560 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($823) | HAP at 100% ($914) | HAP at 110% ($1,005) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $73 | $164 | $255 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($851) to FY 2026 ($914). Since FY 2020 it's up 28% in total, about 4.2% 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 | $482 | $568 | $714 | $948 | $1,073 | — |
| FY 2021 | $472 | $556 | $701 | $932 | $1,035 | -1.8% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $562 | $706 | $938 | $1,044 | +0.7% |
| FY 2023 | $590 | $637 | $795 | $1,052 | $1,196 | +12.6% |
| FY 2024 | $731 | $735 | $912 | $1,195 | $1,399 | +14.7% |
| FY 2025 | $685 | $689 | $851 | $1,108 | $1,330 | -6.7% |
| FY 2026 | $745 | $749 | $914 | $1,233 | $1,429 | +7.4% |
| FY 2027 | $775 | $779 | $943 | $1,233 | $1,460 | +3.2% |
Nearby counties
Bath County
$97726 mi · pop 4,177
Augusta County
$1,26128 mi · pop 77,433
Staunton city
$1,26129 mi · pop 25,581
Rockingham County
$1,32235 mi · pop 83,905
Harrisonburg city
$1,32235 mi · pop 51,784
Rockbridge County
$1,00540 mi · pop 22,673
Waynesboro city
$1,26140 mi · pop 22,341
Lexington city
$1,00542 mi · pop 7,346
Questions people ask
$914 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $745 for a studio, $749 for one bedroom, $1,233 for three and $1,429 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 Highland actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Highland for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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