Department of Numbers

Bedford County Virginia Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Bedford County VA was $880 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Bedford County was $769 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Bedford County median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Bedford County rental vacancy rates, Bedford County rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Bedford County.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Bedford County Virginia (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
Virginia Median Gross Rent $1,254 +1.37% +3.29%
Bedford County VA Median Gross Rent $880 -2.33% +16.71%

Bedford County VA Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Bedford County peaked in real terms in 2009 at $911 and is now $31 (3.40%) lower. Average gross rent for Bedford County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $864 and is now $95 (11.00%) lower.

Real Gross Rent: Bedford County VA Median, Bedford County VA Average, Virginia Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Bedford County

Date US
Median
Virginia
Median
Bedford County VA
Median
Bedford County VA
Average
2019 $1,097 $1,254 $880 $769
2018 $1,077 $1,237 $901 $864
2017 $1,043 $1,216 $801 $853
2016 $1,027 $1,214 $754 $681
2015 $1,017 $1,214 $783 $722
2014 $986 $1,178 $904 $782
2013 $953 $1,144 $860 $821
2012 $940 $1,136 $776 $776
2011 $941 $1,147 $885 $701
2010 $955 $1,139 $806 $702
2009 $960 $1,127 $911 $830

more history ...

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Bedford County

Date US Virginia Bedford County VA
2019 5.97% 5.53%
2018 6.15% 5.17% 6.09%
2017 6.18% 6.45%
2016 5.89% 5.59%
2015 5.85% 5.13%
2014 6.32% 5.79%
2013 6.49% 6.38%
2012 6.77% 6.18%
2011 7.40% 7.54%
2010 8.17% 7.02%
2009 8.43% 7.29%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Bedford County, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Bedford County, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 15.28% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Bedford County Virginia Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
Virginia 19.68% -0.41% -0.74%
Bedford County VA 15.28% -1.30% -0.02%

Trends in Bedford County VA Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Bedford County household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2009 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 18.40%. Since then it has fallen by 3.12% to 15.28%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Bedford County VA, Virginia, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Bedford County Virginia

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Bedford County Virginia

Date US Virginia Bedford County VA
2019 20.03% 19.68% 15.28%
2018 20.50% 20.09% 16.57%
2017 20.13% 19.78% 14.06%
2016 20.43% 20.42% 15.30%
2015 20.63% 20.72% 16.38%
2014 20.89% 20.63% 18.02%
2013 20.78% 20.80% 17.20%
2012 20.65% 20.76% 15.18%
2011 20.70% 20.59% 16.39%
2010 20.50% 20.15% 17.66%
2009 20.12% 20.00% 18.40%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Bedford County Virginia

You can calculate the renter fraction in Bedford County in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Bedford County as a fraction of total Bedford County households. In 2019 15.69% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Bedford County Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
Virginia 33.87% -0.21% -0.84%
Bedford County VA 15.69% -1.83% -3.16%

Trends in the Bedford County VA Renter Fraction

The Bedford County household renter fraction peaked in in 2015 at 21.95% and is now 6.26% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Bedford County VA, Virginia, US

Fraction of renters in Bedford County

History of Bedford County Renter Fraction

Date US Virginia Bedford County VA
2019 35.89% 33.87% 15.69%
2018 36.05% 34.08% 17.52%
2017 36.13% 33.43% 16.19%
2016 36.88% 34.71% 18.85%
2015 36.97% 34.99% 21.95%
2014 36.90% 34.67% 17.55%
2013 36.50% 34.38% 14.84%
2012 36.09% 33.84% 15.92%
2011 35.42% 32.67% 14.54%
2010 34.65% 32.33% 16.04%
2009 34.13% 31.87% 12.95%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.