Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) are FMRs calculated for ZIP Codes within Metropolitan Areas. Small Area FMRs are required to be used to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards in areas designated by HUD (available here). Other Housing Agencies operating in non-designated metropolitan areas may opt-in to the use of Small Area FMRs. Furthermore, Small Area FMRs may be used as the basis for setting Exception Payment Standards – PHAs may set exception payment standards up to 110 percent of the Small Area FMR. PHAs administering Public Housing units may use Small Area FMRs as an alternative to metropolitan area-wide FMRs when calculating Flat Rents. Please See HUD’s Small Area FMR Final Rule for additional information regarding the uses of Small Area FMRs.Note that this service does not denote precise SAFMR geographies. Instead, the service utilizes a relationship class to associate the information for each SAFMR with the FMR areas that its ZCTA overlaps. For example, ZCTA 94558 overlaps the Santa Rosa, Napa, and Vallejo-Fairfield MSAs. Selecting that ZCTA will reveal the SAFMR information associated with each FMR area.

  To learn more about the Small Area Fair Market Rents visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/smallarea/index.html, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. Date of Coverage: Fiscal Year 2025Date Update: 01/2025

Virginia (VA) has the 19th highest rent in the country out of 56 states and territories. The Fair Market Rent in Virginia ranges from $701 for a 2-bedroom apartment in Grayson County, VA to $1,765 for a 2-bedroom unit in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area.

For FY 2024, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area (Arlington County) rent for a studio or efficiency is $1,772 per month and $3,015 per month to rent a house or an apartment with 4 bedrooms. The average Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in Virginia is $1,056 per month.

Approximately 15% of Americans qualify for some level of housing assistance. The population in Virginia is around 2,038,847 people. So, there are around 305,827 people in Virginia who could be receiving housing benefits from the HUD. For FY 2025, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area (Arlington County) rent for a studio or efficiency is $2,012 per month and $3,413 per month to rent a house or an apartment with 4 bedrooms. The average Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in Virginia is $1,059 per month.

Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) are FMRs calculated for ZIP Codes within Metropolitan Areas. Small Area FMRs are required to be used to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards in areas designated by HUD (available here). Other Housing Agencies operating in non-designated metropolitan areas may opt-in to the use of Small Area FMRs. Furthermore, Small Area FMRs may be used as the basis for setting Exception Payment Standards – PHAs may set exception payment standards up to 110 percent of the Small Area FMR. PHAs administering Public Housing units may use Small Area FMRs as an alternative to metropolitan area-wide FMRs when calculating Flat Rents. Please See HUD’s Small Area FMR Final Rule for additional information regarding the uses of Small Area FMRs.Note that this service does not denote precise SAFMR geographies. Instead, the service utilizes a relationship class to associate the information for each SAFMR with the FMR areas that its ZCTA overlaps. For example, ZCTA 94558 overlaps the Santa Rosa, Napa, and Vallejo-Fairfield MSAs. Selecting that ZCTA will reveal the SAFMR information associated with each FMR area.

  To learn more about the Small Area Fair Market Rents visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/smallarea/index.html, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. Date of Coverage: Fiscal Year 2025Date Update: 01/2025

This layer includes the polygon boundaries Payment Standards based on the 2025 HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) amounts for all zipcodes in Metro HRA's Housing Choice Voucher program service area. Detailed information and background documentation regarding SAFMRs can be found at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/smallarea/