HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Wetzel County, West Virginia (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Wetzel 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 Wetzel keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$944
+0.7% 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
54th 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 | -0.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $791 | $712–$870 | $31,640 | $15.21/hr | +10.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $944 | $850–$1,038 | $37,760 | $18.15/hr | +0.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,235 | $1,112–$1,359 | $49,400 | $23.75/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,278 | $1,150–$1,406 | $51,120 | $24.58/hr | +3.0% |
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 | $1,470 | $1,323–$1,617 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,661 | $1,495–$1,827 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,853 | $1,668–$2,038 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,045 | $1,841–$2,250 |
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 Wetzel actually rent for?
Search any address in Wetzel 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 Wetzel 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 1% from FY 2026 ($937) 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 | $500 | $503 | $662 | $907 | $1,054 | — |
| FY 2021 | $495 | $513 | $676 | $895 | $983 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $523 | $559 | $735 | $928 | $997 | +8.7% |
| FY 2023 | $565 | $620 | $816 | $993 | $1,096 | +11.0% |
| FY 2024 | $699 | $703 | $924 | $1,117 | $1,231 | +13.2% |
| FY 2025 | $697 | $701 | $920 | $1,112 | $1,220 | -0.4% |
| FY 2026 | $709 | $714 | $937 | $1,206 | $1,241 | +1.8% |
| FY 2027In effect | $708 | $791 | $944 | $1,235 | $1,278 | +0.7% |
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 Wetzel, that runs from $708 for a studio up to $1,278 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wetzel 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, New Martinsville included.
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Wetzel ranks 54th 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 14,078 people live here, 38th 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 26162 (Porters Falls) and $1,000 in 26155 (New Martinsville), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26155 | New Martinsville | $1,000 | +5.9% |
| 26159 | Paden City | $950 | +0.6% |
| 26162 | Porters Falls | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26167 | Reader | $970 | +2.8% |
| 26348 | Folsom | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26377 | Jacksonburg | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26419 | Pine Grove | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26437 | Smithfield | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26561 | Big Run | $940 | -0.4% |
| 26562 | Burton | $990 | +4.9% |
| 26575 | Hundred | $990 | +4.9% |
| 26581 | Littleton | $940 | -0.4% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Wetzel.
Tyler County
16 mi · 8,064 people
$944
same rate
Doddridge County
21 mi · 7,711 people
$976
+3%
Marshall County
22 mi · 29,865 people
$1,009
+7%
Marion County
23 mi · 55,909 people
$1,071
+13%
Harrison County
25 mi · 64,984 people
$1,005
+6%
Monongalia County
33 mi · 107,163 people
$1,143
+21%
Pleasants County
34 mi · 7,521 people
$944
same rate
Ohio County
36 mi · 41,582 people
$1,009
+7%
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, $791 for one bedroom, $1,235 for three and $1,278 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 Wetzel actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wetzel for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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