HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Monroe County, West Virginia (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Monroe County is $869 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
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
44th of 55
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Monroe 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 Monroe actually rent for?
Search any address in Monroe 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 | $706 | $635 to $777 | $28,240 | $13.58/hr | -6.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $869 | $782 to $956 | $34,760 | $16.71/hr | +2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,209 | $1,088 to $1,330 | $48,360 | $23.25/hr | +10.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,312 | $1,181 to $1,443 | $52,480 | $25.23/hr | +3.2% |
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 | $1,509 | $1,358 to $1,660 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,706 | $1,535 to $1,877 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,902 | $1,712 to $2,092 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,099 | $1,889 to $2,309 |
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 Monroe, that runs from $667 for a studio up to $1,312 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Monroe 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, Ballard included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Monroe ranks 44th 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 12,438 people live here, 41st 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 24918 (Ballard) and $900 in 24941 (Gap Mills), with the 11 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 Monroe 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 31% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $539 | $543 | $662 | $825 | $897 | — |
| FY 2021 | $546 | $550 | $676 | $841 | $917 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $571 | $574 | $705 | $871 | $956 | +4.3% |
| FY 2023 | $614 | $616 | $738 | $898 | $1,050 | +4.7% |
| FY 2024 | $679 | $738 | $848 | $1,054 | $1,275 | +14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $658 | $751 | $852 | $1,093 | $1,271 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $667 | $706 | $869 | $1,209 | $1,312 | +2.0% |
| FY 2027 | $708 | $762 | $944 | $1,307 | $1,421 | +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, $706 for one bedroom, $1,209 for three and $1,312 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 Monroe actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Monroe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.