Rents are right about where Charleston's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,351 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Charleston usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.6% above it in October, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in Charleston is 0.4% below its high of $1,356 in August 2026, at $1,351 as of September 2026.
Rent in Charleston changed +3.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 10 West Virginia cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.2%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Charleston rose 25.6% while median household income rose 51.8% ($43,344 to $65,812). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Charleston is 35.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($65,812) is $1,645 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,640).
South Charleston, 9 miles away, rents for 27% less ($985/mo), about $4,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Charleston. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Charleston, WV is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income below the national average, 45.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Charleston, WV has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Charleston, WV has climbed by $349 per month, settling near $1,351 after starting the period at $1,002. On the earnings side, the typical household in Charleston, WV now reports about $65,812, up from $54,101 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 13.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 49,055 to 47,421 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.3% change. About 36.7% of households rent today, against 39.3% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 42.8% to 45.2%. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Charleston, WV reflects that arc in its own way.
Discussions about Charleston
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Can you afford rent in Charleston on your salary?
At $1,351/mo, how Charleston rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Charleston rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Charleston. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Charleston
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Charleston is $1,351/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $850/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,235/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,005/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,590/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($65,812/yr), Charleston ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $1,351/mo, rent takes ~25% of Charleston's median household income ($65,812/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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