County FMR · HUD FY2026

Jefferson County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, WV - 1% below the US average.

$953
1-bedroom FMR
$1,251
2-bedroom FMR
+0.3%
YoY change
-1%
vs US avg

The verdict

Jefferson is the 2nd most expensive of 55 counties in West Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #881 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#881
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#2
most expensive of 55 in West Virginia (2BR)
+24%
vs the state average
$38,120
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (45.8%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, WV. Verify with HUD →

Jefferson County, West Virginia carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $953 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,251/mo and a studio is $947/mo. That's 1% below the national benchmark of $959 and 24% above the West Virginia average of $766.

Rent increased0.3% from FY 2025 ($950), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $38,120/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in West Virginia. Population: 58,043. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.2%, Census ACS). That's faster than West Virginia's statewide growth of -2.4% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area JEFFERSON·COUNTY·WV·WV

Jefferson County, WV: $953/mo 1BR · #881 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA WV
  • 1BR-FMR $953
  • 2BR-FMR $1,251
  • RANK-MID #881
  • YOY-FLAT +0.3%
  • VSUS-NEAR -1%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +24% WV
  • INC-ROOM 12%
  • POP-MID 58K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Kanawha County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $858–$1,048
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Kanawha ($124 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $714 · US avg: $893
$947/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY +33% vs state +6% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $766 · US avg: $959
$953/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY +24% vs state -1% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $945 · US avg: $1,175
$1,251/mo
↑ 0.4% YoY +32% vs state +6% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,231 · US avg: $1,525
$1,740/mo
↓ 0.3% YoY +41% vs state +14% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,380 · US avg: $1,756
$2,099/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY +52% vs state +20% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $944
$947
+$3 (+0.3%)
1 Bedroom $950
$953
+$3 (+0.3%)
2 Bedroom $1,246
$1,251
+$5 (+0.4%)
3 Bedroom $1,746
$1,740
$-6 (-0.3%)
4 Bedroom $2,092
$2,099
+$7 (+0.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Jefferson County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
11.9%
Affordable
Need $37,880/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
12%
Affordable
Need $38,120/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
15.7%
Affordable
Need $50,040/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
21.9%
Affordable
Need $69,600/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
26.4%
Affordable
Need $83,960/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%15.7%
Jefferson County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $95,523 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View West Virginia rent burden →

Where Jefferson sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,251 Top 28% higher than 72% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Jefferson compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other West Virginia counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Jefferson is highlighted. Nearby West Virginia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Berkeley County ($971), Jefferson County (this county) ($953), Monongalia County ($877), Cabell County ($853), Kanawha County ($829), Wood County ($745), Raleigh County ($719).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $953/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 11% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $80,490 14.2% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,990 14.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $74,520 15.3% Affordable
Electricians $63,850 17.9% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $55,550 20.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $54,570 21% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $49,620 23% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,040 23.3% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $37,610 30.4% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $37,370 30.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $30,590 37.4% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $28,220 40.5% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $27,910 41% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $24,960 45.8% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (West Virginia) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Jefferson County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Jefferson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 22.8% overall, from $776 to $953. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.6% in FY 2025, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$750$800$850$900$950$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $953
Jefferson County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑0.3% $947 $953 $1,251
FY 2025 ↑13.6% $944 $950 $1,246
FY 2024 ↑2.8% $831 $836 $1,099
FY 2023 ↑3.8% $808 $813 $1,001
FY 2022 ↓1.4% $779 $783 $936
FY 2021 ↑2.3% $789 $794 $932
FY 2020 $767 $776 $899
Total change (6yr): +22.8%
Annualized: +3.5%/yr
1 BR: $776 → $953

Part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area

Jefferson County is a outlying county of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area, alongside 22 other metro-area counties.

Jefferson County ranks #23 of 23 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Fairfax County ($2,015), Montgomery County ($2,015), Prince George's County ($2,015), District of Columbia ($2,015), Prince William County ($2,015), Loudoun County ($2,015), Frederick County ($2,015), Arlington County ($2,015), Charles County ($2,015), Stafford County ($2,015), Alexandria city ($2,015), Spotsylvania County ($2,015), Fauquier County ($2,015), Manassas city ($2,015), Fredericksburg city ($2,015), Fairfax city ($2,015), Manassas Park city ($2,015), Clarke County ($2,015), Falls Church city ($2,015), Rappahannock County ($1,254), Culpeper County ($1,170), Warren County ($1,002), Jefferson County (this county) ($953).

Fairfax County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Montgomery County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Prince George's County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
District of Columbia
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Prince William County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Loudoun County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Frederick County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Arlington County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Charles County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Stafford County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Alexandria city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Spotsylvania County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Jefferson County (this county)
1 BR: $953/mo
Show all 23 counties in this metro area
Fauquier County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Manassas city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Fredericksburg city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Fairfax city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Manassas Park city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Clarke County
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Falls Church city
1 BR: $2,015/mo
Rappahannock County
1 BR: $1,254/mo
Culpeper County
1 BR: $1,170/mo
Warren County
1 BR: $1,002/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jefferson 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).

Cumberland County
NC · 2 BR $1,251/mo
Luzerne County
PA · 2 BR $1,252/mo
Lackawanna County
PA · 2 BR $1,252/mo
Wyoming County
PA · 2 BR $1,252/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WV).

Hughes County
SD · 15.7% of income · 2 BR $1,034/mo
Orange County
VA · 15.7% of income · 2 BR $1,234/mo
Hancock County
IA · 15.7% of income · 2 BR $919/mo
Hettinger County
ND · 15.7% of income · 2 BR $927/mo

Nearby Counties in West Virginia

Largest counties by population in West Virginia

Showing the 8 largest of 54 other counties in West Virginia.

Kanawha County
1 BR: $829/mo Pop: 179,895
Berkeley County
1 BR: $971/mo Pop: 123,283
Monongalia County
1 BR: $877/mo Pop: 105,988
Cabell County
1 BR: $853/mo Pop: 93,965
Wood County
1 BR: $745/mo Pop: 84,272
Raleigh County
1 BR: $719/mo Pop: 74,303
Harrison County
1 BR: $843/mo Pop: 65,862
Mercer County
1 BR: $717/mo Pop: 59,530
View all counties in West Virginia →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Jefferson County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Jefferson County is $953 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,251 and a studio is $947.
How does Jefferson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Jefferson County is 1% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $953 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Jefferson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Jefferson County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,251 ranks #881 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 Jefferson County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $38,120 ($3,177/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County.
Is rent going up or down in Jefferson County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County increased by 0.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $950 to $953.
Which jobs can afford rent in Jefferson 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 $953/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Jefferson County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County went from $776 in FY 2020 to $953 in FY 2026, a total change of +22.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jefferson County? ▼
In Jefferson County, the FY 2026 FMR of $953/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 Jefferson County? ▼
For Jefferson County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($953/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.