HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in McDowell County, West Virginia (FY 2027)
$944 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in McDowell County, and it's the baseline every voucher in McDowell is measured against.
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
40th 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 | +7.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $722 | $650–$794 | $28,880 | $13.88/hr | +9.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $944 | $850–$1,038 | $37,760 | $18.15/hr | +8.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,236 | $1,112–$1,360 | $49,440 | $23.77/hr | +7.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,241 | $1,117–$1,365 | $49,640 | $23.87/hr | +7.8% |
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 | $1,427 | $1,284–$1,570 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,613 | $1,452–$1,774 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,799 | $1,619–$1,979 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,986 | $1,787–$2,185 |
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 McDowell actually rent for?
Search any address in McDowell 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 McDowell 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 43% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $556 | $582 | $662 | $825 | $947 | — |
| FY 2021 | $577 | $593 | $676 | $841 | $992 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $595 | $619 | $705 | $915 | $956 | +4.3% |
| FY 2023 | $614 | $653 | $738 | $973 | $991 | +4.7% |
| FY 2024 | $668 | $673 | $848 | $1,117 | $1,129 | +14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $645 | $649 | $852 | $1,125 | $1,130 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $658 | $662 | $869 | $1,146 | $1,151 | +2.0% |
| FY 2027In effect | $708 | $722 | $944 | $1,236 | $1,241 | +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 McDowell, that runs from $708 for a studio up to $1,241 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because McDowell 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, Welch included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, McDowell ranks 40th 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 17,943 people live here, 32nd 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 24808 (Anawalt) and $1,110 in 24801 (Welch), with the 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24801 | Welch | $1,110 | +17.6% |
| 24808 | Anawalt | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24811 | Avondale | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24813 | Bartley | $970 | +2.8% |
| 24815 | Berwind | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24816 | Big Sandy | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24817 | Bradshaw | $970 | +2.8% |
| 24826 | Cucumber | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24828 | Davy | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24829 | Eckman | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24830 | Elbert | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24831 | Elkhorn | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24836 | Gary | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24843 | Hensley | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24844 | Iaeger | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24846 | Isaban | $960 | +1.7% |
| 24848 | Jenkinjones | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24850 | Jolo | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24853 | Kimball | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24855 | Kyle | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24861 | Maybeury | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24862 | Mohawk | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24866 | Newhall | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24868 | Northfork | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24871 | Pageton | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24872 | Panther | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24873 | Paynesville | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24878 | Premier | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24879 | Raysal | $950 | +0.6% |
| 24881 | Roderfield | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24884 | Squire | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24887 | Switchback | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24888 | Thorpe | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24892 | War | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24894 | Warriormine | $940 | -0.4% |
| 24895 | Wilcoe | $1,110 | +17.6% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to McDowell.
Wyoming County
18 mi · 20,629 people
$944
same rate
Mercer County
26 mi · 58,563 people
$946
same rate
Raleigh County
34 mi · 73,195 people
$972
+3%
Logan County
35 mi · 31,418 people
$944
same rate
Mingo County
35 mi · 22,542 people
$961
+2%
Boone County
46 mi · 21,026 people
$944
same rate
Summers County
46 mi · 11,729 people
$944
same rate
Fayette County
54 mi · 39,519 people
$961
+2%
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, $722 for one bedroom, $1,236 for three and $1,241 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 McDowell actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in McDowell for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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