22980 Waynesboro, VA Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 22980 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 22980 (Waynesboro, VA) is covered by Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA MSA, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,030 for a 1-bedroom, studio $1,030, 2-bedroom $1,190, 3-bedroom $1,640, and 4-bedroom $1,890. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Waynesboro can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 7% above the US average of $959, and 13% below the VA state average of $1,182.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,030, that implies a household income of $41,200 per year (about $3,433/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,190 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 22980 has a population of 31,451 residents, so the gap between these FMR figures and local wages shapes how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%).