HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County, West Virginia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Lincoln County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $944 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Lincoln keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$944
+8.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$850–$1,038
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$37,760
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
38th 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 | $708 | $637–$779 | $28,320 | $13.62/hr | +6.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $867 | $780–$954 | $34,680 | $16.67/hr | +21.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $944 | $850–$1,038 | $37,760 | $18.15/hr | +8.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,071–$1,309 | $47,600 | $22.88/hr | +14.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,578 | $1,420–$1,736 | $63,120 | $30.35/hr | +34.1% |
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 | $1,815 | $1,634–$1,997 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,051 | $1,846–$2,256 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,288 | $2,059–$2,517 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,525 | $2,273–$2,778 |
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 Lincoln actually rent for?
Search any address in Lincoln 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 Lincoln somewhere between $850 and $1,038. 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.
$944 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,760 a year. Put another way, $18 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%$850 | Voucher pays at 100%$944 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,038 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $100 | $194 | $288 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2026 ($869) to FY 2027 ($944). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $482 | $572 | $691 | $932 | $1,074 | — |
| FY 2021 | $495 | $571 | $686 | $865 | $1,035 | -0.7% |
| FY 2022 | $503 | $591 | $705 | $871 | $956 | +2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $590 | $649 | $800 | $974 | $1,075 | +13.5% |
| FY 2024 | $621 | $646 | $849 | $1,027 | $1,150 | +6.1% |
| FY 2025 | $612 | $729 | $883 | $1,064 | $1,171 | +4.0% |
| FY 2026 | $667 | $714 | $869 | $1,042 | $1,177 | -1.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $708 | $867 | $944 | $1,190 | $1,578 | +8.6% |
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 Lincoln, that runs from $708 for a studio up to $1,578 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lincoln 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, Alkol included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Lincoln ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $955 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,063. About 19,902 people live here, 31st 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 25501 (Alkol) and $1,000 in 25506 (Branchland), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25501 | Alkol | $940 | -0.4% |
| 25506 | Branchland | $1,000 | +5.9% |
| 25521 | Griffithsville | $990 | +4.9% |
| 25523 | Hamlin | $950 | +0.6% |
| 25524 | Harts | $1,000 | +5.9% |
| 25540 | Midkiff | $1,000 | +5.9% |
| 25544 | Myra | $980 | +3.8% |
| 25557 | Ranger | $1,000 | +5.9% |
| 25564 | Sod | $940 | -0.4% |
| 25565 | Spurlockville | $940 | -0.4% |
| 25567 | Sumerco | $940 | -0.4% |
| 25571 | West Hamlin | $940 | -0.4% |
| 25572 | Woodville | $944County rate | — |
| 25573 | Yawkey | $940 | -0.4% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Lincoln.
Boone County
21 mi · 21,026 people
$944
same rate
Cabell County
21 mi · 92,739 people
$1,006
+7%
Wayne County
21 mi · 38,164 people
$1,006
+7%
Putnam County
24 mi · 57,177 people
$1,091
+16%
Logan County
26 mi · 31,418 people
$944
same rate
Kanawha County
28 mi · 176,537 people
$1,048
+11%
Mingo County
34 mi · 22,542 people
$961
+2%
Mason County
43 mi · 25,043 people
$944
same rate
Questions people ask
$944 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $708 for a studio, $867 for one bedroom, $1,190 for three and $1,578 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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