Rents are 3% below what Alexandria's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,275 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Alexandria usually run 1% below trend in December and 1% above it in July, about $46 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Alexandria is 1.1% below its high of $2,301 in May 2025, at $2,275 as of September 2026.
Rent in Alexandria changed -0.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 66 Virginia cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.5%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Alexandria rose 22.6% while median household income rose 18.6% ($100,939 to $119,681). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Alexandria is 21.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 2 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($119,681) is $2,992 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,584); a 3-bedroom is $3,231.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Alexandria, 22315 ($2,826/mo), costs 1.6 times the cheapest, 22311 ($1,812/mo).
Oxon Hill, MD, 6 miles away, rents for 19% less ($1,839/mo), about $5,200 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Alexandria. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Alexandria, VA is majority renter-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 66.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Alexandria, VA has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Alexandria, VA paid around $1,819 a month. That figure now sits near $2,275, up 25.1% from the 2021 baseline. Median household income climbed from $105,450 to $119,681 between 2021 and 2024, a 13.5% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Alexandria, VA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $2,275/mo, how Alexandria rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Alexandria rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Alexandria. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Alexandria
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Alexandria is $2,275/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,249/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,584/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,297/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,231/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($119,681/yr), Alexandria ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Alexandria?
At $2,275/mo, rent takes ~23% of Alexandria's median household income ($119,681/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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