County FMR · HUD FY2026
Putnam County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, WV - 16% below the US average.
- $803
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,054
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -4.7%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Putnam is the 6th most expensive of 55 counties in West Virginia by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,447 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,447
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #6
- most expensive of 55 in West Virginia (2BR)
- +5%
- vs the state average
- $32,120
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (38.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, WV. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, West Virginia at $803 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,054/mo and a studio is $798/mo. This is 16% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% above the West Virginia average of $766.
Rent decreased4.7% from FY 2025 ($843), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,120/year.
Observed renter burden: 36.1% of the 3,941 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 4.6%, 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 3.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in West Virginia. Population: 57,347. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.1%, Census ACS). That's faster than West Virginia's statewide growth of -2.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area PUTNAM·COUNTY·WV·WV
Putnam County, WV: $803/mo 1BR · #1447 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WV
- 1BR-FMR $803
- 2BR-FMR $1,054
- RANK-MID #1,447
- YOY-DOWN -4.7%
- VSUS-BELOW -16%
- VS-ST-NEAR +5% WV
- INC-ROOM 12%
- POP-MID 57K
- PHOTO-NEAR Kanawha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $723–$883
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Kanawha ($26 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $838 | $798 | $-40 (-4.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $843 | $803 | $-40 (-4.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,106 | $1,054 | $-52 (-4.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,515 | $1,461 | $-54 (-3.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,749 | $1,575 | $-174 (-9.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Putnam 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 Putnam sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,054 higher than 54% 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 Putnam 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
- Putnam
Putnam County
$803 1BR FMR / mo
- Wood
Wood County
$745 1BR FMR / mo
- Raleigh
Raleigh County
$719 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Putnam 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), Putnam County (this county) ($803), Wood County ($745), Raleigh County ($719).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $803/mo, most of these West Virginia occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | WV Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $103,550 | 9.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,490 | 12% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,990 | 12% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,520 | 12.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,850 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $54,570 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,620 | 19.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,040 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,610 | 25.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,370 | 25.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,590 | 31.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,220 | 34.1% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,910 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $24,960 | 38.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Putnam County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Putnam (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 15.2% overall, from $697 to $803. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.0% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓4.7% | $798 | $803 | $1,054 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.1% | $838 | $843 | $1,106 |
| FY 2024 ↑6.2% | $820 | $826 | $1,060 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.0% | $773 | $778 | $1,003 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.9% | $699 | $714 | $940 |
| FY 2021 ↓0.4% | $655 | $694 | $907 |
| FY 2020 | $638 | $697 | $915 |
Part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metro Area
Putnam County is a central county of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, alongside 7 other metro-area counties.
Putnam County ranks #6 of 8 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Cabell County ($853), Lawrence County ($853), Boyd County ($853), Wayne County ($853), Greenup County ($853), Putnam County (this county) ($803), Lawrence County ($720), Carter County ($703).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Putnam 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 Putnam County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Putnam County is $803 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,054 and a studio is $798.
How does Putnam County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Putnam County is 16% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $803 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Putnam County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Putnam County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,054 ranks #1,447 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 Putnam County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,120 ($2,677/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Putnam County.
Is rent going up or down in Putnam County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County decreased by 4.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $843 to $803.
Which jobs can afford rent in Putnam 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 $803/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Putnam County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County went from $697 in FY 2020 to $803 in FY 2026, a total change of +15.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Putnam County?
In Putnam County, the FY 2026 FMR of $803/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 Putnam County?
For Putnam County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($803/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Putnam County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.6%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Putnam County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Putnam'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 $803 implies about $32,120/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 Putnam 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.