HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lewis County, West Virginia (FY 2026)
$869 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lewis County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lewis is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$869
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$782 to $956
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
38th of 55
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lewis moves to $944. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lewis actually rent for?
Search any address in Lewis 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 | $667 | $600 to $734 | $26,680 | $12.83/hr | +1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $754 | $679 to $829 | $30,160 | $14.50/hr | 0.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $869 | $782 to $956 | $34,760 | $16.71/hr | +2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,146 | $1,031 to $1,261 | $45,840 | $22.04/hr | +0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,151 | $1,036 to $1,266 | $46,040 | $22.13/hr | +0.3% |
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 | $1,324 | $1,192 to $1,456 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,496 | $1,346 to $1,646 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,669 | $1,502 to $1,836 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,842 | $1,658 to $2,026 |
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 Lewis, that runs from $667 for a studio up to $1,151 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lewis sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Alum Bridge included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Lewis ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $915 and about 15% below the national median county at $1,018. About 16,920 people live here, 34th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $870 in 26321 (Alum Bridge) and $920 in 26343 (Crawford), with the 9 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 Lewis somewhere between $782 and $956. 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.
$869 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,760 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($782) | HAP at 100% ($869) | HAP at 110% ($956) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $32 | $119 | $206 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($852) to FY 2026 ($869). Since FY 2020 it's up 23% in total, about 3.5% 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 | $572 | $576 | $706 | $880 | $1,091 | — |
| FY 2021 | $574 | $577 | $725 | $902 | $1,052 | +2.7% |
| FY 2022 | $586 | $590 | $732 | $905 | $1,068 | +1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $614 | $635 | $738 | $974 | $1,071 | +0.8% |
| FY 2024 | $679 | $755 | $848 | $1,173 | $1,177 | +14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $658 | $754 | $852 | $1,144 | $1,148 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $667 | $754 | $869 | $1,146 | $1,151 | +2.0% |
| FY 2027 | $708 | $798 | $944 | $1,236 | $1,241 | +8.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$869 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $667 for a studio, $754 for one bedroom, $1,146 for three and $1,151 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 Lewis actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lewis for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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