HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Staunton city, Virginia (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Staunton city carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,261 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Staunton keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,261
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,135 to $1,387
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
63rd of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Staunton moves to $1,199. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Staunton actually rent for?
Search any address in Staunton 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 | $1,088 | $979 to $1,197 | $43,520 | $20.92/hr | -1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,095 | $986 to $1,205 | $43,800 | $21.06/hr | -1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | -1.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,734 | $1,561 to $1,907 | $69,360 | $33.35/hr | -3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,941 | $1,747 to $2,135 | $77,640 | $37.33/hr | -7.2% |
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 | $2,232 | $2,009 to $2,455 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,523 | $2,271 to $2,775 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,814 | $2,533 to $3,095 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,106 | $2,795 to $3,417 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
HUD sets Fair Market Rent once a year, based on what typical units in the area actually rent for, with utilities folded in. FY 2026 runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and in Staunton city the five published rates run from $1,088 to $1,941, studio through four bedrooms.
Staunton doesn't get its own number. It sits inside the Staunton-Stuarts Draft metro and shares one rate with 2 other cities, including Augusta County, Waynesboro city. HUD sets metro FMRs from rents across the whole metro, which is why a rural corner of a big metro can carry a city-sized rate.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,254. Staunton comes in at $1,261, within a couple percent of that, and ranks 63rd of 133 in Virginia. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 24% above. Population is around 25,581.
Counties sharing the Staunton-Stuarts Draft metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 2 ZIP codes it covers in Staunton. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,220 in 24402 (Staunton) to $1,290 in 24401 (Staunton), a $70 spread inside one city. Whether your housing authority uses the ZIP rate or the city rate depends on whether HUD has designated this area for Small Area FMRs. Ask the PHA which one it's on before you price a unit.
What a voucher pays here
The FMR isn't the check you'd receive. Your local housing authority turns it into a payment standard, set between 90% and 110% of FMR, so a two-bedroom here lands between $1,135 and $1,387. Subtract about 30% of the tenant's income and that's the housing assistance payment. If you ask more than similar unassisted units rent for, the PHA's rent reasonableness check will push back.
At the standard 30% of income, a household needs about $50,440 a year to afford $1,261 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $24 an hour.
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% ($1,135) | HAP at 100% ($1,261) | HAP at 110% ($1,387) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $385 | $511 | $637 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $61 | $187 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,282) to FY 2026 ($1,261). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $678 | $683 | $899 | $1,222 | $1,285 | — |
| FY 2021 | $690 | $695 | $910 | $1,239 | $1,416 | +1.2% |
| FY 2022 | $729 | $734 | $917 | $1,255 | $1,531 | +0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $824 | $829 | $989 | $1,380 | $1,685 | +7.9% |
| FY 2024 | $981 | $987 | $1,149 | $1,616 | $1,922 | +16.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,107 | $1,114 | $1,282 | $1,796 | $2,092 | +11.6% |
| FY 2026 | $1,088 | $1,095 | $1,261 | $1,734 | $1,941 | -1.6% |
| FY 2027 | $1,041 | $1,047 | $1,199 | $1,634 | $1,798 | -4.9% |
Nearby counties
Augusta County
$1,2613 mi · pop 77,433
Waynesboro city
$1,26110 mi · pop 22,341
Harrisonburg city
$1,32223 mi · pop 51,784
Rockingham County
$1,32225 mi · pop 83,905
Albemarle County
$1,82428 mi · pop 112,513
Nelson County
$1,82428 mi · pop 14,773
Highland County
$91429 mi · pop 2,247
Rockbridge County
$1,00529 mi · pop 22,673
Questions people ask
$1,261 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,088 for a studio, $1,095 for one bedroom, $1,734 for three and $1,941 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 Staunton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Staunton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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