What HUD offices serve Amherst County, Virginia?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Amherst County.
How many renters live in Amherst County, Virginia?
The County of Amherst County has 31,426 people living in 12,615 households.
There are 7,170 renters living in 3,065 renter households in this County. Renters make up 22.82 percent of the population living in Amherst County.
What is the rental market like in Amherst County, Virginia?
There are an estimated 14,244 housing units in the Amherst County area. Of these, 3,112 units are rental homes, making up 22 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Amherst County, Virginia, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Amherst County?
The rental vacancy rate in Amherst County is 2 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Amherst County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Amherst County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 429 | 1,059 | 1,007 | 349 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Amherst County
A large number of apartments in Amherst County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Amherst County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 37 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 19 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Amherst County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $948 to $1,627. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $948 |
| One BR | $966 |
| Two BR | $1,093 |
| Three BR | $1,494 |
| Four BR | $1,627 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Amherst County, Virginia
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Amherst County?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 78 | 100 percent |
| One BR | 404 | 94 percent |
| Two BR | 786 | 74 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Amherst County, Virginia
How many affordable rental units are in Amherst County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Amherst County, Virginia including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 186 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 144 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Amherst County, Virginia
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Amherst County, Virginia
Amherst County features 154 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Amherst County, Virginia
There are 22 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Amherst County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Amherst County, Virginia
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Amherst County landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Amherst County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Amherst County, Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $984 and $1,202.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
