County FMR · HUD FY2026
Clay County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Clay County, WV - 14% below the US average.
- $829
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,036
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -3.2%
- YoY change
- -14%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Clay is the 8th most expensive of 55 counties in West Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,541 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,541
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #8
- most expensive of 55 in West Virginia (2BR)
- +8%
- vs the state average
- $33,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (39.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Clay County, WV. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Clay County, West Virginia is $829 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,036/mo and a studio is $714/mo. This is 14% lower than the national average of $959 and 8% above the West Virginia average of $766.
Rent decreased3.2% from FY 2025 ($856), declining against the trend. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,160/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 43.7% of the 623 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 2.2%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 7.6% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in West Virginia. Population: 8,049. Population declined 9.6% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than West Virginia's statewide growth of -2.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CLAY·COUNTY·WV·WV
Clay County, WV: $829/mo 1BR · #1541 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WV
- 1BR-FMR $829
- 2BR-FMR $1,036
- RANK-MID #1,541
- YOY-DOWN -3.2%
- VSUS-BELOW -14%
- VS-ST-HIGH +8% WV
- INC-MID 23%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-FINISH Kanawha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $746–$912
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Kanawha ($0 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $723 | $714 | $-9 (-1.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $856 | $829 | $-27 (-3.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,054 | $1,036 | $-18 (-1.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,356 | $1,325 | $-31 (-2.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,397 | $1,372 | $-25 (-1.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Clay 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 Clay sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,036 higher than 51% 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 Clay compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other West Virginia counties
- Berkeley
Berkeley County
$971 1BR FMR / mo
- Monongalia
Monongalia County
$877 1BR FMR / mo
- Cabell
Cabell County
$853 1BR FMR / mo
- Clay
Clay County
$829 1BR FMR / mo
- Kanawha
Kanawha County
$829 1BR FMR / mo
- Wood
Wood County
$745 1BR FMR / mo
- Raleigh
Raleigh County
$719 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Clay is highlighted. Nearby West Virginia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Berkeley County ($971), Monongalia County ($877), Cabell County ($853), Clay County (this county) ($829), Kanawha County ($829), Wood County ($745), Raleigh County ($719).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $829/mo compares to West Virginia salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | WV Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $103,550 | 9.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,490 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,990 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,520 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,850 | 15.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 17.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $54,570 | 18.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,620 | 20% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,040 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,610 | 26.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,370 | 26.6% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,590 | 32.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,220 | 35.3% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,910 | 35.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $24,960 | 39.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Clay County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Clay (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.2% overall, from $684 to $829. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.7% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓3.2% | $714 | $829 | $1,036 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.9% | $723 | $856 | $1,054 |
| FY 2024 ↑7.8% | $688 | $816 | $994 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.7% | $652 | $757 | $911 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.9% | $577 | $690 | $833 |
| FY 2021 ↓2.9% | $534 | $664 | $805 |
| FY 2020 | $542 | $684 | $832 |
Part of the Charleston, WV Metro Area
Clay County is a outlying county of the Charleston, WV metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.
Clay County ranks #2 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Kanawha County ($829), Clay County (this county) ($829), Boone County ($674).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Clay County, both outside West Virginia 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 WV (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WV).
Nearby Counties in West Virginia
Largest counties by population in West Virginia
Showing the 8 largest of 54 other counties in West Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Clay County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Clay County is $829 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,036 and a studio is $714.
How does Clay County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Clay County is 14% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $829 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Clay County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Clay County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,036 ranks #1,541 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Clay County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,160 ($2,763/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Clay County.
Is rent going up or down in Clay County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Clay County decreased by 3.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $856 to $829.
Which jobs can afford rent in Clay County?
Based on West Virginia BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $829/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Clay County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Clay County went from $684 in FY 2020 to $829 in FY 2026, a total change of +21.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Clay County?
In Clay County, the FY 2026 FMR of $829/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 Clay County?
For Clay County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($829/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Clay County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.2%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Clay County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 7.6% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Clay'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 $829 implies about $33,160/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- West Virginia counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Kanawha
- See where Clay 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.