County FMR · HUD FY2026
Pendleton County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Pendleton County, WV - 26% below the US average.
- $706
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $869
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +2.6%
- YoY change
- -26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Pendleton is the 16th cheapest of 55 counties in West Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #158 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #158
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #16
- cheapest of 55 in West Virginia (2BR)
- -8%
- vs the state average
- $28,240
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.9%); 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 Pendleton County, WV. Verify with HUD →
Pendleton County, West Virginia carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $706 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $869/mo and a studio is $667/mo. That's 26% below the national benchmark of $959 and 8% below the West Virginia average of $766.
Rent increased2.6% from FY 2025 ($688), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,240/year.
Observed renter burden: 29.3% of the 403 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 12.8%, 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 3.2% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in West Virginia. Population: 6,156. Population declined 13.4% 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 PENDLETON·COUNTY·WV·WV
Pendleton County, WV: $706/mo 1BR · #158 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WV
- 1BR-FMR $706
- 2BR-FMR $869
- RANK-LOW #158
- YOY-UP +2.6%
- VSUS-LOW -26%
- VS-ST-NEAR -8% WV
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 6K
- PHOTO-NEAR Kanawha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $635–$777
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Kanawha ($123 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $658 | $667 | +$9 (+1.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $688 | $706 | +$18 (+2.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $852 | $869 | +$17 (+2.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,175 | $1,209 | +$34 (+2.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,269 | $1,219 | $-50 (-3.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Pendleton 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 Pendleton 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 Pendleton 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
- Pendleton
Pendleton County
$706 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Pendleton 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), Pendleton County (this county) ($706).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $706/mo, most of these West Virginia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | WV Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $103,550 | 8.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,490 | 10.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,990 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,520 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,850 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $54,570 | 15.5% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,620 | 17.1% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,040 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,610 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,370 | 22.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,590 | 27.7% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,220 | 30% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,910 | 30.4% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $24,960 | 33.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Pendleton County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Pendleton (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 27.9% overall, from $552 to $706. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.5% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑2.6% | $667 | $706 | $869 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.4% | $658 | $688 | $852 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.5% | $679 | $685 | $848 |
| FY 2023 ↑4.0% | $594 | $598 | $738 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.1% | $572 | $575 | $705 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.0% | $560 | $563 | $676 |
| FY 2020 | $549 | $552 | $662 |
Where Pendleton County Ranks in West Virginia
Pendleton County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #16 of 55 counties in West Virginia. Nearest by rank: Lincoln County ($869), Logan County ($869), Mason County ($869), McDowell County ($869), Mineral County ($869), Monroe County ($869), Nicholas County ($869), Pendleton County (this county) ($869), Pleasants County ($869), Pocahontas County ($869), Ritchie County ($869), Roane County ($869), Summers County ($869), Tucker County ($869), Tyler County ($869).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Pendleton 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 Pendleton County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pendleton County is $706 per month. A 2-bedroom is $869 and a studio is $667.
How does Pendleton County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Pendleton County is 26% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $706 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Pendleton County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Pendleton 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 Pendleton County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $28,240 ($2,353/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Pendleton County.
Is rent going up or down in Pendleton County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pendleton County increased by 2.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $688 to $706.
Which jobs can afford rent in Pendleton 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 $706/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Pendleton County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pendleton County went from $552 in FY 2020 to $706 in FY 2026, a total change of +27.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Pendleton County?
In Pendleton County, the FY 2026 FMR of $706/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 Pendleton County?
For Pendleton County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($706/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Pendleton County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 12.8%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Pendleton County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.2% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Pendleton'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 $706 implies about $28,240/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 Pendleton 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.