HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lancaster County, Virginia (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lancaster County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,052 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lancaster keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,052
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$947 to $1,157
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
87th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lancaster moves to $1,091. 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 Lancaster actually rent for?
Search any address in Lancaster 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 | $857 | $771 to $943 | $34,280 | $16.48/hr | +3.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $862 | $776 to $948 | $34,480 | $16.58/hr | +3.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,052 | $947 to $1,157 | $42,080 | $20.23/hr | +2.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,463 | $1,317 to $1,609 | $58,520 | $28.13/hr | +7.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,765 | $1,589 to $1,942 | $70,600 | $33.94/hr | +11.4% |
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 | $2,030 | $1,827 to $2,233 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,295 | $2,066 to $2,525 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,559 | $2,303 to $2,815 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,824 | $2,542 to $3,106 |
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 Lancaster, that runs from $857 for a studio up to $1,765 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lancaster 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, Irvington included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Lancaster ranks 87th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% below the state median of $1,254 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,018. About 10,866 people live here, 112th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 22480 (Irvington) and $1,160 in 22578 (White Stone), with the 10 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 Lancaster somewhere between $947 and $1,157. 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.
$1,052 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,080 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($947) | HAP at 100% ($1,052) | HAP at 110% ($1,157) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $197 | $302 | $407 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,030) to FY 2026 ($1,052). Since FY 2020 it's up 6% in total, about 0.9% 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 | $671 | $792 | $995 | $1,240 | $1,348 | — |
| FY 2021 | $640 | $753 | $950 | $1,182 | $1,288 | -4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $636 | $742 | $932 | $1,152 | $1,264 | -1.9% |
| FY 2023 | $765 | $827 | $1,031 | $1,255 | $1,385 | +10.6% |
| FY 2024 | $893 | $898 | $1,114 | $1,378 | $1,581 | +8.1% |
| FY 2025 | $829 | $834 | $1,030 | $1,360 | $1,584 | -7.5% |
| FY 2026 | $857 | $862 | $1,052 | $1,463 | $1,765 | +2.1% |
| FY 2027 | $829 | $834 | $1,091 | $1,501 | $1,824 | +3.7% |
Nearby counties
Middlesex County
$1,2918 mi · pop 10,738
Northumberland County
$1,30913 mi · pop 12,007
Richmond County
$1,15716 mi · pop 8,968
Mathews County
$1,71322 mi · pop 8,537
King and Queen County
$1,25023 mi · pop 6,681
Gloucester County
$1,71326 mi · pop 38,875
Essex County
$1,11327 mi · pop 10,602
Westmoreland County
$1,19429 mi · pop 18,480
Questions people ask
$1,052 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $857 for a studio, $862 for one bedroom, $1,463 for three and $1,765 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 Lancaster actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lancaster for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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