County FMR · HUD FY2026
Bath County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Bath County, VA - 16% below the US average.
- $801
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $977
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +14.1%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Bath is the 33rd cheapest of 133 counties in Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,322 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 14.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,322
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #33
- cheapest of 133 in Virginia (2BR)
- -32%
- vs the state average
- $32,040
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.1%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Bath County, VA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Bath County, Virginia at $801 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $977/mo and a studio is $796/mo. This is 16% lower than the national average of $959 and 32% below the Virginia average of $1,182.
Rent increased14.1% from FY 2025 ($702), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,040/year.
Observed renter burden: 13.5% of the 438 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 0.0%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Virginia. Population: 4,177. Population declined 6.1% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Virginia's statewide growth of +2.9% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BATH·COUNTY·VA·VA
Bath County, VA: $801/mo 1BR · #1322 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA VA
- 1BR-FMR $801
- 2BR-FMR $977
- RANK-MID #1,322
- YOY-SURGE +14.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -16%
- VS-ST-LOW -32% VA
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 4K
- PHOTO-NEAR Fairfax County
- VOUCH-90-110 $721–$881
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Fairfax ($1,214 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $698 | $796 | +$98 (+14.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $702 | $801 | +$99 (+14.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $867 | $977 | +$110 (+12.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,128 | $1,171 | +$43 (+3.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,355 | $1,528 | +$173 (+12.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Bath County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Bath sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$977 higher than 42% of 3,145 counties
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 Bath compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Virginia counties
- Fairfax
Fairfax County
$2,015 1BR FMR / mo
- Prince William
Prince William County
$2,015 1BR FMR / mo
- Loudoun
Loudoun County
$2,015 1BR FMR / mo
- Virginia Beach city
Virginia Beach city
$1,512 1BR FMR / mo
- Chesterfield
Chesterfield County
$1,507 1BR FMR / mo
- Henrico
Henrico County
$1,507 1BR FMR / mo
- Bath $801
Bath County
$801 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Bath 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), Chesterfield County ($1,507), Henrico County ($1,507), Bath County (this county) ($801).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $801/mo, most of these Virginia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | VA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $134,470 | 7.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $121,530 | 7.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $88,820 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $84,190 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $65,110 | 14.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $62,270 | 15.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,610 | 15.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $61,200 | 15.7% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $54,500 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $42,490 | 22.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,210 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,650 | 26.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,970 | 28.3% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $32,760 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,060 | 33.1% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Bath County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Bath (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 37.6% overall, from $582 to $801. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 15.4% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑14.1% | $796 | $801 | $977 |
| FY 2025 ↓4.5% | $698 | $702 | $867 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.4% | $731 | $735 | $912 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.3% | $590 | $637 | $795 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.5% | $482 | $562 | $706 |
| FY 2021 ↓4.0% | $475 | $559 | $705 |
| FY 2020 | $493 | $582 | $731 |
Where Bath County Ranks in Virginia
Bath County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #33 of 133 counties in Virginia. Nearest by rank: Wythe County ($914), Pulaski County ($921), Page County ($924), Franklin County ($944), Northampton County ($949), Mecklenburg County ($950), Buckingham County ($959), Nottoway County ($975), Bath County (this county) ($977), Giles County ($984), Cumberland County ($997), Emporia city ($1,001), Greensville County ($1,001), Buena Vista city ($1,005), Lexington city ($1,005), Rockbridge County ($1,005), Surry County ($1,039).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Bath 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside VA).
Nearby Counties in Virginia
Largest counties by population in Virginia
Showing the 8 largest of 132 other counties in Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Bath County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Bath County is $801 per month. A 2-bedroom is $977 and a studio is $796.
How does Bath County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Bath County is 16% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $801 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Bath County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Bath County's 2-bedroom FMR of $977 ranks #1,322 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Bath County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,040 ($2,670/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Bath County.
Is rent going up or down in Bath County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Bath County increased by 14.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $702 to $801.
Which jobs can afford rent in Bath 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 $801/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Bath County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Bath County went from $582 in FY 2020 to $801 in FY 2026, a total change of +37.6% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Bath County?
In Bath County, the FY 2026 FMR of $801/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 Bath County?
For Bath County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($801/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Bath County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 0.0%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Bath County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.7% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Bath's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $801 implies about $32,040/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Virginia counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Fairfax
- See where Bath ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.