HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cabell County, West Virginia (FY 2026)
$973 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cabell County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cabell is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$973
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$876 to $1,070
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
13th of 55
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cabell moves to $1,006. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cabell actually rent for?
Search any address in Cabell for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $848 | $763 to $933 | $33,920 | $16.31/hr | +0.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $853 | $768 to $938 | $34,120 | $16.40/hr | +0.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,249 | $1,124 to $1,374 | $49,960 | $24.02/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,410 | $1,269 to $1,551 | $56,400 | $27.12/hr | -3.4% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,622 | $1,460 to $1,784 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,833 | $1,650 to $2,016 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,045 | $1,841 to $2,250 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,256 | $2,030 to $2,482 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Cabell, that runs from $848 for a studio up to $1,410 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Cabell in with 4 other counties in the Huntington-Ashland metro, Lawrence County, Boyd County, Wayne County among them, and every one of them gets $973 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Cabell ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $915 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 93,965 people live here, 4th in the state.
Counties sharing the Huntington-Ashland metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 25559 (Salt Rock) and $1,170 in 25545 (Ona), with the 43 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25504 | Barboursville | $1,000 | +2.8% |
| 25510 | Culloden | $1,110 | +14.1% |
| 25537 | Lesage | $1,090 | +12.0% |
| 25541 | Milton | $1,000 | +2.8% |
| 25545 | Ona | $1,170 | +20.2% |
| 25559 | Salt Rock | $970 | -0.3% |
| 25701 | Huntington | $980 | +0.7% |
| 25702 | Huntington | $980 | +0.7% |
| 25703 | Huntington | $970 | -0.3% |
| 25704 | Huntington | $1,000 | +2.8% |
| 25705 | Huntington | $1,060 | +8.9% |
| 25706 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25707 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25708 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25710 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25711 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25712 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25713 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25714 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25715 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25716 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25717 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25718 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25719 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25720 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25721 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25722 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25723 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25724 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25725 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25726 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25727 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25728 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25729 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25755 | Huntington | $970 | -0.3% |
| 25770 | Huntington | $973County rate | — |
| 25771 | Huntington | $973County rate | — |
| 25772 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25773 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
| 25774 | Huntington | $990 | +1.7% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Cabell somewhere between $876 and $1,070. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$973 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,920 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($876) | HAP at 100% ($973) | HAP at 110% ($1,070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $126 | $223 | $320 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($971) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 20% in total, about 3.1% a year. The West Virginia median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $553 | $669 | $808 | $1,086 | $1,278 | — |
| FY 2021 | $553 | $652 | $791 | $1,063 | $1,213 | -2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $570 | $659 | $791 | $1,058 | $1,179 | 0.0% |
| FY 2023 | $648 | $706 | $829 | $1,102 | $1,248 | +4.8% |
| FY 2024 | $793 | $815 | $938 | $1,236 | $1,431 | +13.1% |
| FY 2025 | $844 | $850 | $971 | $1,259 | $1,459 | +3.5% |
| FY 2026 | $848 | $853 | $973 | $1,249 | $1,410 | +0.2% |
| FY 2027 | $858 | $864 | $1,006 | $1,287 | $1,393 | +3.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $848 for a studio, $853 for one bedroom, $1,249 for three and $1,410 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Cabell actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cabell for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.