State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in West Virginia

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across West Virginia is $766/mo - 20% below the US average.

$766
Avg 1BR FMR
55
Counties
7
Metro areas

The verdict

West Virginia's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $945 - 20% below the US average, the 4th lowest of 51 states.

West Virginia's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom averages $945, 20% below the US average - the 4th lowest of 51 states. A household needs about $37,800 in annual income to afford it under HUD's 30% affordability rule, and rents vary 90% between the state's cheapest and priciest counties.

#4
most affordable of 51 states (2BR)
-20%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$37,800
income to afford it (30% rule)
90%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 55 counties and 7 metro areas in WV. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for West Virginia

Across West Virginia's 55 counties and 7 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent averages $766/mo for a 1-bedroom (studio through 4-bedroom averages are broken out below). FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level, not statewide, so that figure is the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside WV, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, West Virginia's average 1-bedroom FMR of $766 is 20% below the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform - the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Grant County at $662, while the most expensive is in Hampshire County at $1,255, a spread of roughly 90% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $30,640 per year (about $2,553/month) to afford West Virginia's average 1-bedroom at $766. With a state population of 1,784,462 and median household income of $57,917, a significant share of West Virginia renters fall above the 30% cost-burden threshold in higher-FMR counties. Pair these rent figures with West Virginia's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where West Virginia sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$945 higher than 6% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Above this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. WV $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. 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

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$714
-20% vs US avg
1 BR
$766
-20% vs US avg
2 BR
$945
-20% vs US avg
3 BR
$1,231
-19% vs US avg
4 BR
$1,380
-21% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in West Virginia by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent, the highest-cost 10 of 55 WV counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside WV, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $662 in Grant County to $1,255 in Hampshire County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in West Virginia

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Morgantown, WV MSA $871
$877
$1,099$1,318$1,657
2 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area $848
$853
$973$1,249$1,410
3 Wheeling, WV-OH MSA $683
$816
$991$1,277$1,413
4 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA $752
$757
$973$1,285$1,482
5 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA $741
$745
$928$1,194$1,253
6 Fayette County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area $631
$697
$915$1,195$1,535
7 Boone County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area $669
$674
$869$1,195$1,458

Counties in West Virginia, ranked by rent (55)

All 55 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

55 of 55
# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Hampshire County $1,133
$1,255
$1,573$1,965$2,639
2 Berkeley County $850
$971
$1,233$1,702$1,947
3 Jefferson County $947
$953
$1,251$1,740$2,099
4 Monongalia County $871
$877
$1,099$1,318$1,657
5 Preston County $871
$877
$1,099$1,318$1,657
6 Cabell County $848
$853
$973$1,249$1,410
7 Wayne County $848
$853
$973$1,249$1,410
8 Harrison County $770
$843
$955$1,264$1,466
9 Marion County $742
$838
$1,007$1,235$1,624
10 Clay County $714
$829
$1,036$1,325$1,372
11 Kanawha County $714
$829
$1,036$1,325$1,372
12 Marshall County $683
$816
$991$1,277$1,413
13 Ohio County $683
$816
$991$1,277$1,413
14 Putnam County $798
$803
$1,054$1,461$1,575
15 Barbour County $667
$793
$869$1,147$1,313
16 Gilmer County $667
$793
$869$1,140$1,390
17 Logan County $667
$793
$869$1,209$1,458
18 Mason County $667
$793
$869$1,081$1,151
19 Roane County $667
$793
$869$1,173$1,177
20 Pocahontas County $667
$788
$869$1,146$1,177
21 Hardy County $715
$784
$932$1,146$1,263
22 Taylor County $657
$774
$953$1,286$1,291
23 Brooke County $752
$757
$973$1,285$1,482
24 Hancock County $752
$757
$973$1,285$1,482
25 Doddridge County $712
$754
$928$1,207$1,257
26 Lewis County $667
$754
$869$1,146$1,151
27 Wyoming County $667
$748
$869$1,173$1,177
28 Wirt County $741
$745
$928$1,194$1,253
29 Wood County $741
$745
$928$1,194$1,253
30 Greenbrier County $709
$735
$924$1,179$1,235
31 Morgan County $663
$732
$961$1,221$1,612
32 Upshur County $728
$732
$961$1,205$1,612
33 Jackson County $667
$726
$869$1,137$1,221
34 Raleigh County $715
$719
$944$1,313$1,377
35 Mercer County $618
$717
$896$1,206$1,258
36 Lincoln County $667
$714
$869$1,042$1,177
37 Wetzel County $709
$714
$937$1,206$1,241
38 Randolph County $641
$708
$929$1,183$1,468
39 Calhoun County $667
$706
$869$1,173$1,177
40 Monroe County $667
$706
$869$1,209$1,312
41 Pendleton County $667
$706
$869$1,209$1,219
42 Summers County $667
$706
$869$1,146$1,151
43 Tyler County $667
$706
$869$1,124$1,177
44 Tucker County $667
$699
$869$1,209$1,458
45 Fayette County $631
$697
$915$1,195$1,535
46 Mingo County $689
$696
$898$1,077$1,288
47 Nicholas County $667
$696
$869$1,125$1,177
48 Mineral County $667
$695
$869$1,146$1,250
49 Boone County $669
$674
$869$1,195$1,458
50 Braxton County $660
$665
$869$1,147$1,311
51 Grant County $658
$662
$869$1,127$1,177
52 McDowell County $658
$662
$869$1,146$1,151
53 Pleasants County $658
$662
$869$1,173$1,177
54 Ritchie County $658
$662
$869$1,042$1,151
55 Webster County $658
$662
$869$1,061$1,177

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in West Virginia? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in West Virginia is $766 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $945.
How does West Virginia rent compare to the national average? ▼
West Virginia rents are 20% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $766 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in West Virginia? ▼
The most affordable county is Grant County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $662. The most expensive is Hampshire County at $1,255.
What income do I need to afford rent in West Virginia? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $30,640/year ($2,553/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in West Virginia.

Explore West Virginia rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

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

What this means for renters

Treat West Virginia's FY2026 average Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 average 1-bedroom FMR of $766 implies about $30,640/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • West Virginia's counties vary widely around this average -- compare specific counties before assuming this figure applies to yours. View county rankings
  • See where West Virginia ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a state-level average across 55 counties; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Related

Browse all counties → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov). Median household income and homeownership rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (census.gov/programs-surveys/acs).

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.