County FMR · HUD FY2026
Belmont County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Belmont County, OH - 15% below the US average.
- $816
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $991
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.8%
- YoY change
- -15%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Belmont is the 40th cheapest of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,385 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,385
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #40
- cheapest of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- -7%
- vs the state average
- $32,640
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.8%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Belmont County, OH. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Belmont County, Ohio is $816 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $991/mo and a studio is $683/mo. This is 15% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased3.8% from FY 2025 ($786), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $32,640/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 36.9% of the 6,887 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 11.3%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 66,554. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-3.6%, Census ACS). That's slower than Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BELMONT·COUNTY·OH·OH
Belmont County, OH: $816/mo 1BR · #1385 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA OH
- 1BR-FMR $816
- 2BR-FMR $991
- RANK-MID #1,385
- YOY-UP +3.8%
- VSUS-BELOW -15%
- VS-ST-NEAR -7% OH
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-MID 67K
- PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $734–$898
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($378 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $654 | $683 | +$29 (+4.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $786 | $816 | +$30 (+3.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $954 | $991 | +$37 (+3.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,228 | $1,277 | +$49 (+4.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,379 | $1,413 | +$34 (+2.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Belmont County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Belmont sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$991 higher than 44% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Belmont compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties
- Franklin
Franklin County
$1,194 1BR FMR / mo
- Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga County
$1,058 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,009 1BR FMR / mo
- Summit
Summit County
$985 1BR FMR / mo
- Lucas
Lucas County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Belmont
Belmont County
$816 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Belmont is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820), Belmont County (this county) ($816).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $816/mo compares to Ohio salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 9.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 12.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 12.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 15% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 15.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 25.9% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 27.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 28.2% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 32.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 34.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Belmont County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Belmont (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 43.2% overall, from $570 to $816. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.4% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.8% | $683 | $816 | $991 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.1% | $654 | $786 | $954 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.4% | $607 | $714 | $895 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.0% | $563 | $647 | $827 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.2% | $539 | $588 | $762 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.0% | $550 | $570 | $740 |
| FY 2020 | $566 | $570 | $737 |
Part of the Wheeling, WV-OH Metro Area
Belmont County is a central county of the Wheeling, WV-OH metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.
Belmont County ranks #3 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Ohio County ($816), Marshall County ($816), Belmont County (this county) ($816).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Belmont County, both outside Ohio so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside OH (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside OH).
Nearby Counties in Ohio
Largest counties by population in Ohio
Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Belmont County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Belmont County is $816 per month. A 2-bedroom is $991 and a studio is $683.
How does Belmont County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Belmont County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $816 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Belmont County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Belmont County's 2-bedroom FMR of $991 ranks #1,385 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Belmont County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,640 ($2,720/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Belmont County.
Is rent going up or down in Belmont County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Belmont County increased by 3.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $786 to $816.
Which jobs can afford rent in Belmont County?
Based on Ohio BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $816/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Belmont County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Belmont County went from $570 in FY 2020 to $816 in FY 2026, a total change of +43.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Belmont County?
In Belmont County, the FY 2026 FMR of $816/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Belmont County?
For Belmont County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($816/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Belmont County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 11.3%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Belmont County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Belmont's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $816 implies about $32,640/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Ohio counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Franklin
- See where Belmont ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.