West Virginia Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In West Virginia that limit for a family of four runs from $48,750 in McDowell County, WV to $147,650 in Jefferson County, WV. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, WV part of the Beckley, WV metro area | 58,400 | 66,700 | 75,050 | 83,400 | 90,050 | 96,750 | 103,400 | 110,100 |
| Raleigh County, WV part of the Beckley, WV metro area | 59,750 | 68,300 | 76,800 | 85,350 | 92,200 | 99,000 | 105,850 | 112,650 |
| Boone County, WV part of the Charleston, WV metro area | 64,350 | 73,500 | 82,700 | 91,900 | 99,250 | 106,600 | 113,950 | 121,300 |
| Charleston, WV metro area | 65,050 | 74,300 | 83,600 | 92,900 | 100,350 | 107,750 | 115,200 | 122,650 |
| Martinsburg, WV part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV metro area | 79,400 | 90,750 | 102,050 | 113,400 | 122,500 | 131,550 | 140,600 | 149,750 |
| Morgan County, WV part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV metro area | 72,950 | 83,350 | 93,800 | 104,200 | 112,550 | 120,850 | 129,250 | 137,550 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area | 67,050 | 76,650 | 86,200 | 95,800 | 103,450 | 111,150 | 118,800 | 126,450 |
| Putnam County, WV metro area | 85,350 | 97,500 | 109,700 | 121,900 | 131,650 | 141,400 | 151,150 | 160,900 |
| Morgantown, WV metro area | 82,900 | 94,750 | 106,600 | 118,450 | 127,950 | 137,400 | 146,900 | 156,350 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area | 68,050 | 77,750 | 87,500 | 97,200 | 105,000 | 112,750 | 120,550 | 128,300 |
| Jefferson County, WV part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area | 103,350 | 118,100 | 132,900 | 147,650 | 159,450 | 171,250 | 183,100 | 194,900 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH metro area | 64,900 | 74,150 | 83,450 | 92,700 | 100,100 | 107,550 | 114,950 | 122,350 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH metro area | 68,050 | 77,750 | 87,500 | 97,200 | 105,000 | 112,750 | 120,550 | 128,300 |
| Winchester, VA-WV metro area | 91,050 | 104,050 | 117,050 | 130,050 | 140,450 | 150,850 | 161,250 | 171,650 |
| Barbour County, WV | 55,850 | 63,850 | 71,800 | 79,800 | 86,200 | 92,550 | 98,950 | 105,350 |
| Braxton County, WV | 46,550 | 53,200 | 59,850 | 66,550 | 71,850 | 77,200 | 82,500 | 87,800 |
| Calhoun County, WV | 41,350 | 47,300 | 53,200 | 59,100 | 63,850 | 68,550 | 73,300 | 78,000 |
| Doddridge County, WV | 68,650 | 78,500 | 88,300 | 98,100 | 105,950 | 113,800 | 121,650 | 129,500 |
| Gilmer County, WV | 55,350 | 63,300 | 71,200 | 79,100 | 85,450 | 91,750 | 98,100 | 104,400 |
| Grant County, WV | 68,100 | 77,850 | 87,550 | 97,300 | 105,100 | 112,850 | 120,650 | 128,450 |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 57,050 | 65,200 | 73,400 | 81,500 | 88,000 | 94,550 | 101,050 | 107,600 |
| Hardy County, WV | 54,000 | 61,700 | 69,450 | 77,150 | 83,300 | 89,500 | 95,650 | 101,850 |
| Harrison County, WV | 68,600 | 78,400 | 88,200 | 98,000 | 105,850 | 113,700 | 121,500 | 129,350 |
| Jackson County, WV | 68,200 | 77,900 | 87,650 | 97,400 | 105,200 | 113,000 | 120,800 | 128,550 |
| Lewis County, WV | 65,700 | 75,100 | 84,450 | 93,850 | 101,350 | 108,850 | 116,350 | 123,900 |
| Lincoln County, WV | 50,900 | 58,150 | 65,450 | 72,700 | 78,500 | 84,350 | 90,150 | 95,950 |
| Logan County, WV | 52,400 | 59,950 | 67,350 | 74,900 | 80,900 | 86,900 | 92,800 | 98,800 |
| Marion County, WV | 72,200 | 82,500 | 92,850 | 103,150 | 111,400 | 119,650 | 127,900 | 136,150 |
| Mason County, WV | 61,250 | 70,000 | 78,750 | 87,500 | 94,500 | 101,500 | 108,500 | 115,500 |
| McDowell County, WV | 34,150 | 39,000 | 43,900 | 48,750 | 52,650 | 56,550 | 60,450 | 64,350 |
| Mercer County, WV | 61,100 | 69,850 | 78,550 | 87,300 | 94,300 | 101,250 | 108,250 | 115,250 |
| Mineral County, WV | 76,400 | 87,300 | 98,250 | 109,150 | 117,900 | 126,600 | 135,350 | 144,100 |
| Mingo County, WV | 44,600 | 50,950 | 57,350 | 63,700 | 68,800 | 73,900 | 79,000 | 84,100 |
| Monroe County, WV | 61,100 | 69,850 | 78,550 | 87,300 | 94,300 | 101,250 | 108,250 | 115,250 |
| Nicholas County, WV | 65,200 | 74,500 | 83,850 | 93,150 | 100,600 | 108,050 | 115,500 | 122,950 |
| Pendleton County, WV | 58,400 | 66,700 | 75,050 | 83,400 | 90,050 | 96,750 | 103,400 | 110,100 |
| Pleasants County, WV | 69,550 | 79,500 | 89,400 | 99,350 | 107,300 | 115,250 | 123,200 | 131,150 |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 52,100 | 59,500 | 66,950 | 74,400 | 80,350 | 86,300 | 92,250 | 98,200 |
| Randolph County, WV | 59,900 | 68,450 | 77,000 | 85,550 | 92,400 | 99,250 | 106,100 | 112,950 |
| Ritchie County, WV | 58,150 | 66,450 | 74,750 | 83,050 | 89,700 | 96,350 | 103,000 | 109,650 |
| Roane County, WV | 45,800 | 52,350 | 58,900 | 65,450 | 70,700 | 75,900 | 81,150 | 86,400 |
| Summers County, WV | 56,350 | 64,400 | 72,450 | 80,500 | 86,950 | 93,400 | 99,800 | 106,250 |
| Taylor County, WV | 60,050 | 68,650 | 77,200 | 85,800 | 92,650 | 99,550 | 106,400 | 113,250 |
| Tucker County, WV | 62,800 | 71,750 | 80,750 | 89,700 | 96,900 | 104,050 | 111,250 | 118,400 |
| Tyler County, WV | 71,900 | 82,150 | 92,450 | 102,700 | 110,900 | 119,150 | 127,350 | 135,550 |
| Upshur County, WV | 58,400 | 66,700 | 75,050 | 83,400 | 90,050 | 96,750 | 103,400 | 110,100 |
| Webster County, WV | 48,700 | 55,700 | 62,650 | 69,600 | 75,150 | 80,750 | 86,300 | 91,850 |
| Wetzel County, WV | 63,600 | 72,700 | 81,750 | 90,850 | 98,100 | 105,400 | 112,650 | 119,900 |
| Wyoming County, WV | 48,000 | 54,850 | 61,700 | 68,550 | 74,050 | 79,500 | 85,000 | 90,500 |
From income limit to rent cap
Two rent rules apply under 7 CFR 3565.203. Each unit's rent, counting tenant-paid utilities, can't exceed 30% of 115% of area median income adjusted for family size, which is 30% of the figure in the table for the household size you assume, divided by 12. And across the whole project, the average rent can't exceed 30% of 100% of area median income each year.
Worked example for Fayette County, WV: the four-person limit is $83,400, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,085 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $1,813 a month at the four-person size. Which household size applies to each bedroom count is set in USDA's program handbook; confirm it with your lender.
Income is tested only at move-in. A tenant whose income later rises above the limit can stay (7 CFR 3565.202(a)). Want to see what those rents support in debt? Run them through the 538 loan sizer.
All 49 West Virginia areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.