HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Russell County, Virginia (FY 2026)
$914 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Russell County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Russell is measured against.
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
124th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Russell 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 Russell actually rent for?
Search any address in Russell 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 | $744 | $670 to $818 | $29,760 | $14.31/hr | +10.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $748 | $673 to $823 | $29,920 | $14.38/hr | +10.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $914 | $823 to $1,005 | $36,560 | $17.58/hr | +7.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,156 | $1,040 to $1,272 | $46,240 | $22.23/hr | +10.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,377 | $1,239 to $1,515 | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | +9.5% |
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 | $1,584 | $1,426 to $1,742 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,790 | $1,611 to $1,969 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,997 | $1,797 to $2,197 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,203 | $1,983 to $2,423 |
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 Russell, that runs from $744 for a studio up to $1,377 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Russell 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, Castlewood included.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Russell ranks 124th 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 25,763 people live here, 67th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $910 in 24225 (Cleveland) and $1,370 in 24237 (Dante), with the 7 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 Russell 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 | $542 | $714 | $890 | $967 | — |
| FY 2021 | $472 | $532 | $701 | $872 | $951 | -1.8% |
| FY 2022 | $479 | $534 | $702 | $868 | $952 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $588 | $602 | $793 | $972 | $1,065 | +13.0% |
| FY 2024 | $715 | $720 | $905 | $1,138 | $1,293 | +14.1% |
| FY 2025 | $672 | $676 | $851 | $1,044 | $1,258 | -6.0% |
| FY 2026 | $744 | $748 | $914 | $1,156 | $1,377 | +7.4% |
| FY 2027 | $760 | $765 | $943 | $1,212 | $1,406 | +3.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$914 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $744 for a studio, $748 for one bedroom, $1,156 for three and $1,377 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 Russell actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Russell for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.