HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Highland County, Virginia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Highland County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $943 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Highland keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$943
+3.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$849–$1,037
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$37,720
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
119th of 133
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $775 | $698–$853 | $31,000 | $14.90/hr | +4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $779 | $701–$857 | $31,160 | $14.98/hr | +4.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $943 | $849–$1,037 | $37,720 | $18.13/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,233 | $1,110–$1,356 | $49,320 | $23.71/hr | 0.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,460 | $1,314–$1,606 | $58,400 | $28.08/hr | +2.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,679 | $1,511–$1,847 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,898 | $1,708–$2,088 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,117 | $1,905–$2,329 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,336 | $2,102–$2,570 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $849 and $1,037. 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.
$943 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,720 a year. Put another way, $18 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$849 | Voucher pays at 100%$943 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,037 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $99 | $193 | $287 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($914) to FY 2027 ($943). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.1% a year. The Virginia median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $775 | $779 | $943 | $1,233 | $1,460 | +3.2% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Highland, that runs from $775 for a studio up to $1,460 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 25% below the state median of $1,262 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,063. About 2,296 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 $940 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Highland.
Bath County
26 mi · 4,100 people
$1,010
+7%
Augusta County
28 mi · 78,033 people
$1,199
+27%
Staunton city
29 mi · 25,948 people
$1,199
+27%
Rockingham County
35 mi · 85,600 people
$1,264
+34%
Harrisonburg city
35 mi · 51,392 people
$1,264
+34%
Rockbridge County
40 mi · 22,531 people
$1,057
+12%
Waynesboro city
40 mi · 22,841 people
$1,199
+27%
Lexington city
42 mi · 7,525 people
$1,057
+12%
Questions people ask
$943 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $775 for a studio, $779 for one bedroom, $1,233 for three and $1,460 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The 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. Free to start, no card.
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