County FMR · HUD FY2026

Amelia County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Amelia County, VA - 57% above the US average.

$1,507
1-bedroom FMR
$1,655
2-bedroom FMR
-2.5%
YoY change
+57%
vs US avg

The verdict

Amelia is the 49th most expensive of 133 counties in Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #377 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#377
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#49
most expensive of 133 in Virginia (2BR)
+27%
vs the state average
$60,280
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (62.2%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Amelia County, VA. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Amelia County, Virginia at $1,507 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,655/mo and a studio is $1,442/mo. This is 57% higher than the national average of $959 and 27% above the Virginia average of $1,182.

Rent decreased2.5% from FY 2025 ($1,545), declining against the trend. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $60,280/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 41.8% of the 996 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Virginia. Population: 13,309. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.8%, Census ACS). That's in line with Virginia's statewide growth of +2.9% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area AMELIA·COUNTY·VA·VA

Amelia County, VA: $1,507/mo 1BR · #377 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA VA
  • 1BR-FMR $1,507
  • 2BR-FMR $1,655
  • RANK-MID #377
  • YOY-DOWN -2.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +57%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +27% VA
  • INC-MID 27%
  • POP-SMALL 13K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Fairfax County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,356–$1,658
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Fairfax ($508 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,137 · US avg: $893
$1,442/mo
↓ 3.1% YoY +27% vs state +61% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,182 · US avg: $959
$1,507/mo
↓ 2.5% YoY +27% vs state +57% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,369 · US avg: $1,175
$1,655/mo
↓ 3.3% YoY +21% vs state +41% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,789 · US avg: $1,525
$2,072/mo
↓ 4.3% YoY +16% vs state +36% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,128 · US avg: $1,756
$2,553/mo
↓ 4.6% YoY +20% vs state +45% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,488
$1,442
$-46 (-3.1%)
1 Bedroom $1,545
$1,507
$-38 (-2.5%)
2 Bedroom $1,711
$1,655
$-56 (-3.3%)
3 Bedroom $2,166
$2,072
$-94 (-4.3%)
4 Bedroom $2,677
$2,553
$-124 (-4.6%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Amelia County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
26.1%
Affordable
Need $57,680/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
27.3%
Affordable
Need $60,280/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
29.9%
Affordable
Need $66,200/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
37.5%
Burdened
Need $82,880/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
46.2%
Burdened
Need $102,120/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%29.9%
Amelia County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $66,339 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Virginia rent burden →

Where Amelia sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,655 Top 12% higher than 88% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Amelia compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Virginia counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Amelia is highlighted. Nearby Virginia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Fairfax County ($2,015), Prince William County ($2,015), Loudoun County ($2,015), Virginia Beach city ($1,512), Amelia County (this county) ($1,507), Chesterfield County ($1,507), Henrico County ($1,507).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,507/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Virginia BLS wages?

Occupation VA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $134,470 13.4% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $121,530 14.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $88,820 20.4% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $84,190 21.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $65,110 27.8% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $62,270 29% Affordable
Electricians $61,610 29.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $61,200 29.5% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $54,500 33.2% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $42,490 42.6% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,210 46.1% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $36,650 49.3% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $33,970 53.2% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $32,760 55.2% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,060 62.2% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Virginia) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Amelia County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Amelia (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 61.7% overall, from $932 to $1,507. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$800$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,507
Amelia County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓2.5% $1,442 $1,507 $1,655
FY 2025 ↑13.2% $1,488 $1,545 $1,711
FY 2024 ↑15.4% $1,328 $1,365 $1,532
FY 2023 ↑13.3% $1,157 $1,183 $1,336
FY 2022 ↑2.4% $1,022 $1,044 $1,189
FY 2021 ↑9.4% $993 $1,020 $1,163
FY 2020 $899 $932 $1,061
Total change (6yr): +61.7%
Annualized: +8.3%/yr
1 BR: $932 → $1,507

Part of the Richmond, VA Metro Area

Amelia County is a outlying county of the Richmond, VA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 16 other metro-area counties.

Amelia County ranks #16 of 17 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Chesterfield County ($1,507), Henrico County ($1,507), Richmond city ($1,507), Hanover County ($1,507), Prince George County ($1,507), Petersburg city ($1,507), Powhatan County ($1,507), Dinwiddie County ($1,507), Goochland County ($1,507), New Kent County ($1,507), Hopewell city ($1,507), Colonial Heights city ($1,507), King William County ($1,507), Sussex County ($1,507), Charles City County ($1,507), Amelia County (this county) ($1,507), King and Queen County ($1,139).

Chesterfield County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Henrico County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Richmond city
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Hanover County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Prince George County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Petersburg city
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Powhatan County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Dinwiddie County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Goochland County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
New Kent County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Hopewell city
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Colonial Heights city
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Amelia County (this county)
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Show all 17 counties in this metro area
King William County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Sussex County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
Charles City County
1 BR: $1,507/mo
King and Queen County
1 BR: $1,139/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Amelia County, both outside Virginia so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside VA (FY2026).

Ada County
ID · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Canyon County
ID · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Missoula County
MT · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Owyhee County
ID · 2 BR $1,655/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside VA).

Swisher County
TX · 29.9% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Kauai County
HI · 29.9% of income · 2 BR $2,332/mo
Madison County
AR · 30% of income · 2 BR $1,347/mo
Ben Hill County
GA · 29.9% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Virginia

Largest counties by population in Virginia

Showing the 8 largest of 132 other counties in Virginia.

Fairfax County
1 BR: $2,015/mo Pop: 1,145,354
Prince William County
1 BR: $2,015/mo Pop: 481,114
Virginia Beach city
1 BR: $1,512/mo Pop: 457,900
Loudoun County
1 BR: $2,015/mo Pop: 420,773
Chesterfield County
1 BR: $1,507/mo Pop: 366,019
Henrico County
1 BR: $1,507/mo Pop: 333,120
Chesapeake city
1 BR: $1,512/mo Pop: 249,377
Norfolk city
1 BR: $1,512/mo Pop: 236,973
View all counties in Virginia →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Amelia County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Amelia County is $1,507 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,655 and a studio is $1,442.
How does Amelia County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Amelia County is 57% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,507 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Amelia County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Amelia County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,655 ranks #377 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Amelia County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $60,280 ($5,023/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Amelia County.
Is rent going up or down in Amelia County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Amelia County decreased by 2.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,545 to $1,507.
Which jobs can afford rent in Amelia County? ▼
Based on Virginia BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,507/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Amelia County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Amelia County went from $932 in FY 2020 to $1,507 in FY 2026, a total change of +61.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Amelia County? ▼
In Amelia County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,507/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Amelia County? ▼
For Amelia County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,507/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.