Metro FMR · CBSA 48540 · HUD FY2026

Wheeling, WV-OH MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Wheeling, WV-OH MSA metro area - 15% below the US average.

$816
1-bedroom FMR
$991
2-bedroom FMR
+3.8%
YoY change
-15%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Wheeling, WV-OH MSA area rents at $991 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 16% below the US average, lower than 94% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#24
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
-16%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$39,640
income to afford it (30% rule)
+3.8%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Wheeling: #24 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $58,705, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 16.7% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Wheeling in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 139,287 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR is in the lowest national tenth (#24 most affordable of 387 metros), though the household budget still depends on local income.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$683/mo

14.0% of median income

1 Bedroom

$816/mo

16.7% of median income

2 Bedroom

$991/mo

20.3% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,277/mo

26.1% of median income

4 Bedroom

$1,413/mo

28.9% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·48540

Wheeling: $816/mo 1BR · #24 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 48540

  • CBSA 48540
  • 1BR-FMR $816
  • 2BR-FMR $991
  • RANK-LOW #24
  • YOY-UP +3.8%
  • VSUS-BELOW -15%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #5 WV
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MID 139K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Boone County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $734–$898
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Boone County ($142 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Wheeling sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$991 higher than 6% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

CBSA 48540

Counties inside Wheeling

Across 3 HUD counties in CBSA 48540, 2-bedroom FMRs cluster tightly ($991–$991, 0% spread), so the metro-wide schedule tracks most constituent counties closely.

Belmont County 2BR $991 · 67K Ohio County 2BR $991 · 42K Marshall County 2BR $991 · 31K

Wheeling studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #24 most affordable

1BR $816 (-15% vs US, +3.8% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 48540.

Studio
$683
US avg $893
↑4.4% YoY -24% vs US
1 Bedroom
$816
US avg $959
↑3.8% YoY -15% vs US
2 Bedroom
$991
US avg $1,175
↑3.9% YoY -16% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,277
US avg $1,525
↑4.0% YoY -16% vs US
4 Bedroom
$1,413
US avg $1,756
↑2.5% YoY -20% vs US

How Wheeling compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other WV metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Wheeling highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Wheeling: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Wheeling with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside WV (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside WV

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Cape Girardeau
MO · 2 BR $992/mo
Alexandria
LA · 2 BR $994/mo
Allen County
KY · 2 BR $996/mo
Florence-Muscle Shoals
AL · 2 BR $1,000/mo

Burden % · outside WV

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Idaho Falls
ID · 20.3% of income · 2 BR $1,305/mo
Toledo
OH · 20.3% of income · 2 BR $1,076/mo
Mansfield
OH · 20.3% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Beaumont-Port Arthur
TX · 20.3% of income · 2 BR $1,103/mo

Wheeling: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Wheeling, WV-OH MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Wheeling, WV-OH MSA is $816 per month. A 2-bedroom is $991 and a studio is $683.
How does Wheeling, WV-OH MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Wheeling, WV-OH MSA metro area is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $816 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Wheeling rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $991 ranks #24 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the lowest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Wheeling metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 48540, but 3 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $991–$991 for a 2-bedroom (0% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.

Compare Wheeling vs Boone County →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $816/mo · 1BR WV

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.