HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Kanawha County, West Virginia (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Kanawha County is $1,048 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,048
+1.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$943–$1,153
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$41,920
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
9th of 55
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $730 | $657–$803 | $29,200 | $14.04/hr | +2.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $844 | $760–$928 | $33,760 | $16.23/hr | +1.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,048 | $943–$1,153 | $41,920 | $20.15/hr | +1.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,324 | $1,192–$1,456 | $52,960 | $25.46/hr | -0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,377 | $1,239–$1,515 | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | +0.4% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,584 | $1,426–$1,742 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,790 | $1,611–$1,969 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,997 | $1,797–$2,197 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,203 | $1,983–$2,423 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Kanawha actually rent for?
Search any address in Kanawha for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Kanawha somewhere between $943 and $1,153. 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.
$1,048 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,920 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$943 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,048 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,153 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $193 | $298 | $403 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2026 ($1,036) to FY 2027 ($1,048). Since FY 2020 it's up 26% in total, about 3.4% a year. The West Virginia median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $542 | $684 | $832 | $1,038 | $1,188 | — |
| FY 2021 | $534 | $664 | $805 | $1,022 | $1,137 | -3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $577 | $690 | $833 | $1,083 | $1,167 | +3.5% |
| FY 2023 | $652 | $757 | $911 | $1,196 | $1,248 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $688 | $816 | $994 | $1,300 | $1,324 | +9.1% |
| FY 2025 | $723 | $856 | $1,054 | $1,356 | $1,397 | +6.0% |
| FY 2026 | $714 | $829 | $1,036 | $1,325 | $1,372 | -1.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $730 | $844 | $1,048 | $1,324 | $1,377 | +1.2% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Kanawha, that runs from $730 for a studio up to $1,377 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 Kanawha in with one other county in the Charleston metro, Clay County among them, and every one of them gets $1,048 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, Kanawha ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $955 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,063. About 176,537 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 25162 (Pratt) and $1,450 in 25306 (Charleston), with the 69 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25003 | Alum Creek | $970 | -7.4% |
| 25015 | Belle | $1,170 | +11.6% |
| 25025 | Blount | $1,300 | +24.0% |
| 25026 | Blue Creek | $1,048County rate | — |
| 25035 | Cabin Creek | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25039 | Cedar Grove | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25045 | Clendenin | $1,020 | -2.7% |
| 25054 | Dawes | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25061 | Drybranch | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25064 | Dunbar | $1,070 | +2.1% |
| 25067 | East Bank | $990 | -5.5% |
| 25071 | Elkview | $950 | -9.4% |
| 25075 | Eskdale | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25079 | Falling Rock | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25083 | Gallagher | $1,030 | -1.7% |
| 25086 | Glasgow | $990 | -5.5% |
| 25102 | Handley | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25103 | Hansford | $950 | -9.4% |
| 25107 | Hernshaw | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25110 | Hugheston | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25112 | Institute | $1,070 | +2.1% |
| 25126 | London | $950 | -9.4% |
| 25132 | Mammoth | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25134 | Miami | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25143 | Nitro | $1,070 | +2.1% |
| 25156 | Pinch | $950 | -9.4% |
| 25160 | Pond Gap | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25162 | Pratt | $940 | -10.3% |
| 25177 | Saint Albans | $1,010 | -3.6% |
| 25201 | Tad | $1,290 | +23.1% |
| 25202 | Tornado | $990 | -5.5% |
| 25214 | Winifrede | $990 | -5.5% |
| 25301 | Charleston | $940 | -10.3% |
| 25302 | Charleston | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25303 | South Charleston | $1,160 | +10.7% |
| 25304 | Charleston | $1,150 | +9.7% |
| 25305 | Charleston | $1,050 | +0.2% |
| 25306 | Charleston | $1,450 | +38.4% |
| 25309 | South Charleston | $940 | -10.3% |
| 25311 | Charleston | $1,070 | +2.1% |
Counties sharing the Charleston metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,048 two-bedroom figure as Kanawha.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Kanawha.
Boone County
20 mi · 21,026 people
$944
-10%
Putnam County
22 mi · 57,177 people
$1,091
+4%
Lincoln County
28 mi · 19,902 people
$944
-10%
Clay County
29 mi · 7,835 people
$1,048
same rate
Roane County
29 mi · 13,786 people
$944
-10%
Fayette County
30 mi · 39,519 people
$961
-8%
Jackson County
35 mi · 27,705 people
$944
-10%
Logan County
39 mi · 31,418 people
$944
-10%
Questions people ask
$1,048 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $730 for a studio, $844 for one bedroom, $1,324 for three and $1,377 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Kanawha actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kanawha for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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