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.

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)

Studio
State avg: $1,137 · US avg: $893
$796/mo
↑ 14.0% YoY -30% vs state -11% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,182 · US avg: $959
$801/mo
↑ 14.1% YoY -32% vs state -16% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,369 · US avg: $1,175
$977/mo
↑ 12.7% YoY -29% vs state -17% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,789 · US avg: $1,525
$1,171/mo
↑ 3.8% YoY -35% vs state -23% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,128 · US avg: $1,756
$1,528/mo
↑ 12.8% YoY -28% vs state -13% vs US

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.

Studio
15.5%
Affordable
Need $31,840/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
15.6%
Affordable
Need $32,040/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
19%
Affordable
Need $39,080/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
22.8%
Affordable
Need $46,840/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.7%
Affordable
Need $61,120/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%19%
Bath County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $61,709 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Virginia rent burden →

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

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $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 Bath compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Virginia counties

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).

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

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
Salaries: BLS OES (Virginia) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $801
Bath County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
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
Total change (6yr): +37.6%
Annualized: +5.5%/yr
1 BR: $582 → $801

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).

Wythe County
2 BR: $914/mo
Pulaski County
2 BR: $921/mo
Page County
2 BR: $924/mo
Franklin County
2 BR: $944/mo
Northampton County
2 BR: $949/mo
Mecklenburg County
2 BR: $950/mo
Buckingham County
2 BR: $959/mo
Nottoway County
2 BR: $975/mo
Bath County (this county)
2 BR: $977/mo
Giles County
2 BR: $984/mo
Cumberland County
2 BR: $997/mo
Emporia city
2 BR: $1,001/mo
Greensville County
2 BR: $1,001/mo
Buena Vista city
2 BR: $1,005/mo
Lexington city
2 BR: $1,005/mo
Rockbridge County
2 BR: $1,005/mo
Surry County
2 BR: $1,039/mo

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).

Pike County
KY · 2 BR $977/mo
LaGrange County
IN · 2 BR $977/mo
Newaygo County
MI · 2 BR $976/mo
Pettis County
MO · 2 BR $978/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Harper County
OK · 19% of income · 2 BR $937/mo
Williamson County
IL · 19% of income · 2 BR $1,037/mo
Harper County
KS · 19% of income · 2 BR $877/mo
Meigs County
TN · 19% of income · 2 BR $925/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 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).

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.