County FMR · HUD FY2026

Giles County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Giles County, VA - 6% below the US average.

$898
1-bedroom FMR
$984
2-bedroom FMR
+5.0%
YoY change
-6%
vs US avg

The verdict

Giles is the 34th cheapest of 133 counties in Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,353 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#1,353
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#34
cheapest of 133 in Virginia (2BR)
-24%
vs the state average
$35,920
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.1%).

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

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Giles County, Virginia at $898 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $984/mo and a studio is $746/mo. This is 6% lower than the national average of $959 and 24% below the Virginia average of $1,182.

Rent increased5.0% from FY 2025 ($855), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $35,920/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 30.1% of the 1,430 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: 16,711. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.2%, Census ACS). That's slower than Virginia's statewide growth of +2.9% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area GILES·COUNTY·VA·VA

Giles County, VA: $898/mo 1BR · #1353 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA VA
  • 1BR-FMR $898
  • 2BR-FMR $984
  • RANK-MID #1,353
  • YOY-SURGE +5.0%
  • VSUS-NEAR -6%
  • VS-ST-LOW -24% VA
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-SMALL 17K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Fairfax County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $808–$988
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Fairfax ($1,117 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,137 · US avg: $893
$746/mo
↓ 0.5% YoY -34% vs state -16% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,182 · US avg: $959
$898/mo
↑ 5.0% YoY -24% vs state -6% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,369 · US avg: $1,175
$984/mo
↑ 3.9% YoY -28% vs state -16% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,789 · US avg: $1,525
$1,180/mo
↑ 0.0% YoY -34% vs state -23% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,128 · US avg: $1,756
$1,651/mo
↑ 9.8% YoY -22% vs state -6% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $750
$746
$-4 (-0.5%)
1 Bedroom $855
$898
+$43 (+5.0%)
2 Bedroom $947
$984
+$37 (+3.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,180
$1,180
$0 (0.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,504
$1,651
+$147 (+9.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
13.8%
Affordable
Need $29,840/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.6%
Affordable
Need $35,920/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
18.2%
Affordable
Need $39,360/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
21.8%
Affordable
Need $47,200/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
30.6%
Burdened
Need $66,040/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%18.2%
Giles County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $64,819 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Virginia rent burden →

Where Giles sits among every US county

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

$984 higher than 43% 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 Giles compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Virginia counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Giles 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), Giles County (this county) ($898).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $898/mo compares to Virginia salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation VA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $134,470 8% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $121,530 8.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $88,820 12.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $84,190 12.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $65,110 16.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $62,270 17.3% Affordable
Electricians $61,610 17.5% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $61,200 17.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $54,500 19.8% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $42,490 25.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $39,210 27.5% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $36,650 29.4% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $33,970 31.7% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $32,760 32.9% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,060 37.1% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Virginia) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Giles (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 51.7% overall, from $592 to $898. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.8% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $898
Giles County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑5.0% $746 $898 $984
FY 2025 ↑6.1% $750 $855 $947
FY 2024 ↑14.8% $742 $806 $905
FY 2023 ↑14.0% $665 $702 $793
FY 2022 ↓6.0% $494 $616 $702
FY 2021 ↑10.6% $504 $655 $747
FY 2020 $495 $592 $733
Total change (6yr): +51.7%
Annualized: +7.2%/yr
1 BR: $592 → $898

Part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metro Area

Giles County is a outlying county of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.

Giles County ranks #3 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Montgomery County ($993), Radford city ($993), Giles County (this county) ($898), Pulaski County ($840), Floyd County ($834).

Montgomery County
1 BR: $993/mo
Radford city
1 BR: $993/mo
Giles County (this county)
1 BR: $898/mo
Pulaski County
1 BR: $840/mo
Floyd County
1 BR: $834/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Giles 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).

Cherokee County
TX · 2 BR $984/mo
Barron County
WI · 2 BR $984/mo
Yazoo County
MS · 2 BR $984/mo
Union County
GA · 2 BR $984/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Elk County
PA · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
AK · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $1,376/mo
Winona County
MN · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $1,066/mo
Holt County
MO · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $888/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 Giles County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Giles County is $898 per month. A 2-bedroom is $984 and a studio is $746.
How does Giles County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Giles County is 6% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $898 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Giles County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Giles County's 2-bedroom FMR of $984 ranks #1,353 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 Giles County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $35,920 ($2,993/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Giles County.
Is rent going up or down in Giles County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Giles County increased by 5.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $855 to $898.
Which jobs can afford rent in Giles 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 $898/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Giles County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Giles County went from $592 in FY 2020 to $898 in FY 2026, a total change of +51.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Giles County? ▼
In Giles County, the FY 2026 FMR of $898/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 Giles County? ▼
For Giles County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($898/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.