HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Putnam County, West Virginia (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Putnam County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,054 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Putnam keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,054
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$949 to $1,159
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in West Virginia
6th of 55
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Putnam moves to $1,091. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Putnam actually rent for?
Search any address in Putnam 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 | $798 | $718 to $878 | $31,920 | $15.35/hr | -4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $803 | $723 to $883 | $32,120 | $15.44/hr | -4.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,054 | $949 to $1,159 | $42,160 | $20.27/hr | -4.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,461 | $1,315 to $1,607 | $58,440 | $28.10/hr | -3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,575 | $1,418 to $1,733 | $63,000 | $30.29/hr | -9.9% |
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 | $1,811 | $1,630 to $1,992 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,048 | $1,843 to $2,253 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,284 | $2,056 to $2,512 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,520 | $2,268 to $2,772 |
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 Putnam, that runs from $798 for a studio up to $1,575 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Putnam is its own HUD metro area (Putnam County, WV), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Putnam ranks 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% above the state median of $915 and about 4% above the national median county at $1,018. About 57,347 people live here, 10th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 25011 (Bancroft) and $1,580 in 25560 (Scott Depot), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25011 | Bancroft | $1,000 | -5.1% |
| 25033 | Buffalo | $1,000 | -5.1% |
| 25070 | Eleanor | $1,070 | +1.5% |
| 25082 | Fraziers Bottom | $1,000 | -5.1% |
| 25109 | Hometown | $1,100 | +4.4% |
| 25124 | Liberty | $1,120 | +6.3% |
| 25159 | Poca | $1,170 | +11.0% |
| 25168 | Red House | $1,100 | +4.4% |
| 25213 | Winfield | $1,110 | +5.3% |
| 25526 | Hurricane | $1,000 | -5.1% |
| 25560 | Scott Depot | $1,580 | +49.9% |
| 25569 | Teays | $1,050 | -0.4% |
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 Putnam somewhere between $949 and $1,159. 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.
$1,054 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,160 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($949) | HAP at 100% ($1,054) | HAP at 110% ($1,159) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $199 | $304 | $409 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2025 ($1,106) to FY 2026 ($1,054). Since FY 2020 it's up 15% in total, about 2.4% 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 | $638 | $697 | $915 | $1,200 | $1,446 | — |
| FY 2021 | $655 | $694 | $907 | $1,177 | $1,413 | -0.9% |
| FY 2022 | $699 | $714 | $940 | $1,237 | $1,455 | +3.6% |
| FY 2023 | $773 | $778 | $1,003 | $1,333 | $1,553 | +6.7% |
| FY 2024 | $820 | $826 | $1,060 | $1,475 | $1,678 | +5.7% |
| FY 2025 | $838 | $843 | $1,106 | $1,515 | $1,749 | +4.3% |
| FY 2026 | $798 | $803 | $1,054 | $1,461 | $1,575 | -4.7% |
| FY 2027 | $829 | $834 | $1,091 | $1,500 | $1,542 | +3.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,054 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $798 for a studio, $803 for one bedroom, $1,461 for three and $1,575 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 Putnam actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Putnam for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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