County FMR · HUD FY2026
Mineral County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Mineral County, WV - 28% below the US average.
- $695
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $869
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -7.0%
- YoY change
- -28%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Mineral is the 13th cheapest of 55 counties in West Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #158 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 7.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #158
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #13
- cheapest of 55 in West Virginia (2BR)
- -9%
- vs the state average
- $27,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.4%); 14 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 Mineral County, WV. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Mineral County, West Virginia is $695 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $869/mo and a studio is $667/mo. This is 28% lower than the national average of $959 and 9% below the West Virginia average of $766.
Rent decreased7.0% from FY 2025 ($747), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $27,800/year.
Observed renter burden: 36.6% of the 2,184 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 8.5%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in West Virginia. Population: 26,957. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.3%, Census ACS). That's in line with West Virginia's statewide growth of -2.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MINERAL·COUNTY·WV·WV
Mineral County, WV: $695/mo 1BR · #158 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WV
- 1BR-FMR $695
- 2BR-FMR $869
- RANK-LOW #158
- YOY-DOWN -7.0%
- VSUS-LOW -28%
- VS-ST-LOW -9% WV
- INC-ROOM 12%
- POP-SMALL 27K
- PHOTO-NEAR Kanawha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $626–$765
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Kanawha ($134 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $655 | $667 | +$12 (+1.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $747 | $695 | $-52 (-7.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $869 | $-64 (-6.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,226 | $1,146 | $-80 (-6.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,388 | $1,250 | $-138 (-9.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Mineral 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 Mineral sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$869 higher than 5% 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 Mineral 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
- Kanawha
Kanawha County
$829 1BR FMR / mo
- Wood
Wood County
$745 1BR FMR / mo
- Raleigh
Raleigh County
$719 1BR FMR / mo
- Mineral
Mineral County
$695 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Mineral is highlighted. Nearby West Virginia counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Berkeley County ($971), Monongalia County ($877), Cabell County ($853), Kanawha County ($829), Wood County ($745), Raleigh County ($719), Mineral County (this county) ($695).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $695/mo, most of these West Virginia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | WV Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $103,550 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,490 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,990 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,520 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,850 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 15% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $54,570 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,620 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,040 | 17% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,610 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,370 | 22.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,590 | 27.3% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,220 | 29.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,910 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $24,960 | 33.4% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Mineral County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Mineral (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 18.4% overall, from $587 to $695. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.2% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓7.0% | $667 | $695 | $869 |
| FY 2025 ↑1.5% | $655 | $747 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.2% | $624 | $736 | $920 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.2% | $560 | $668 | $838 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.2% | $503 | $606 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.0% | $499 | $587 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $519 | $587 | $714 |
Part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Micro Area
Mineral County is a outlying county of the Cumberland, MD-WV micropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other micro-area county.
Mineral County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Allegany County ($823), Mineral County (this county) ($695).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Mineral 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 Mineral County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Mineral County is $695 per month. A 2-bedroom is $869 and a studio is $667.
How does Mineral County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Mineral County is 28% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $695 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Mineral County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Mineral County's 2-bedroom FMR of $869 ranks #158 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Mineral County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $27,800 ($2,317/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Mineral County.
Is rent going up or down in Mineral County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mineral County decreased by 7.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $747 to $695.
Which jobs can afford rent in Mineral 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 $695/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Mineral County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mineral County went from $587 in FY 2020 to $695 in FY 2026, a total change of +18.4% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Mineral County?
In Mineral County, the FY 2026 FMR of $695/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 Mineral County?
For Mineral County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($695/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Mineral County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 8.5%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Mineral County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Mineral'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 $695 implies about $27,800/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 Mineral 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.