HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, West Virginia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Mercer County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $946 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Mercer keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$946
+5.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$851–$1,041
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$37,840
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
29th 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 | $659 | $593–$725 | $26,360 | $12.67/hr | +6.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $746 | $671–$821 | $29,840 | $14.35/hr | +4.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $946 | $851–$1,041 | $37,840 | $18.19/hr | +5.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,250 | $1,125–$1,375 | $50,000 | $24.04/hr | +3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,340 | $1,206–$1,474 | $53,600 | $25.77/hr | +6.5% |
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 | $1,541 | $1,387–$1,695 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,742 | $1,568–$1,916 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,943 | $1,749–$2,137 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,144 | $1,930–$2,358 |
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 Mercer actually rent for?
Search any address in Mercer 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 Mercer somewhere between $851 and $1,041. 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.
$946 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,840 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%$851 | Voucher pays at 100%$946 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,041 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $101 | $196 | $291 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($896) to FY 2027 ($946). 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 | $431 | $533 | $662 | $857 | $1,004 | — |
| FY 2021 | $446 | $553 | $676 | $901 | $1,003 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $468 | $593 | $705 | $964 | $1,024 | +4.3% |
| FY 2023 | $493 | $606 | $738 | $1,026 | $1,084 | +4.7% |
| FY 2024 | $575 | $690 | $848 | $1,165 | $1,250 | +14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $584 | $683 | $852 | $1,168 | $1,250 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $618 | $717 | $896 | $1,206 | $1,258 | +5.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $659 | $746 | $946 | $1,250 | $1,340 | +5.6% |
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 Mercer, that runs from $659 for a studio up to $1,340 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mercer 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, Princeton included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Mercer ranks 29th 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 58,563 people live here, 9th 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 24701 (Bluefield) and $1,040 in 24712 (Athens), with the 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24701 | Bluefield | $940 | -0.6% |
| 24712 | Athens | $1,040 | +9.9% |
| 24714 | Beeson | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24715 | Bramwell | $970 | +2.5% |
| 24724 | Freeman | $940 | -0.6% |
| 24729 | Hiawatha | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24731 | Kegley | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24732 | Kellysville | $946County rate | — |
| 24733 | Lashmeet | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24736 | Matoaka | $940 | -0.6% |
| 24737 | Montcalm | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24738 | Nemours | $950 | +0.4% |
| 24739 | Princeton | $1,030 | +8.9% |
| 24740 | Princeton | $940 | -0.6% |
| 24747 | Rock | $970 | +2.5% |
| 24751 | Wolfe | $946County rate | — |
| 25820 | Camp Creek | $950 | +0.4% |
| 25841 | Flat Top | $950 | +0.4% |
| 25922 | Spanishburg | $940 | -0.6% |
| 25971 | Lerona | $950 | +0.4% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Mercer.
Summers County
24 mi · 11,729 people
$944
same rate
Wyoming County
25 mi · 20,629 people
$944
same rate
McDowell County
26 mi · 17,943 people
$944
same rate
Raleigh County
26 mi · 73,195 people
$972
+3%
Monroe County
34 mi · 12,386 people
$944
same rate
Fayette County
45 mi · 39,519 people
$961
+2%
Greenbrier County
48 mi · 32,386 people
$991
+5%
Logan County
51 mi · 31,418 people
$944
same rate
Questions people ask
$946 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $659 for a studio, $746 for one bedroom, $1,250 for three and $1,340 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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