HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hancock County, West Virginia (FY 2026)
$973 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hancock County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hancock 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
14th of 55
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hancock moves to $1,007. 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 Hancock actually rent for?
Search any address in Hancock 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 | $752 | $677 to $827 | $30,080 | $14.46/hr | +6.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $757 | $681 to $833 | $30,280 | $14.56/hr | +6.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +8.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,285 | $1,157 to $1,414 | $51,400 | $24.71/hr | +7.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,482 | $1,334 to $1,630 | $59,280 | $28.50/hr | +9.6% |
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 | $1,704 | $1,534 to $1,874 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,927 | $1,734 to $2,120 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,149 | $1,934 to $2,364 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,371 | $2,134 to $2,608 |
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 Hancock, that runs from $752 for a studio up to $1,482 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 Hancock in with 2 other counties in the Weirton-Steubenville metro, Jefferson County, Brooke 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, Hancock ranks 14th 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 28,907 people live here, 19th in the state.
Counties sharing the Weirton-Steubenville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 26047 (New Cumberland) and $1,060 in 26034 (Chester), with the 5 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.
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 Hancock 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 8% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.7% 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 | $453 | $550 | $696 | $896 | $962 | — |
| FY 2021 | $511 | $576 | $734 | $960 | $1,051 | +5.5% |
| FY 2022 | $557 | $578 | $738 | $997 | $1,078 | +0.5% |
| FY 2023 | $619 | $623 | $794 | $1,072 | $1,151 | +7.6% |
| FY 2024 | $660 | $678 | $860 | $1,177 | $1,279 | +8.3% |
| FY 2025 | $706 | $711 | $899 | $1,197 | $1,352 | +4.5% |
| FY 2026 | $752 | $757 | $973 | $1,285 | $1,482 | +8.2% |
| FY 2027 | $771 | $776 | $1,007 | $1,298 | $1,514 | +3.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $752 for a studio, $757 for one bedroom, $1,285 for three and $1,482 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 Hancock actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hancock for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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