Rents are right about where Wheeling'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 $817 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
Rent in Wheeling is 1% below its high of $825 in August 2026, at $817 as of September 2026.
Rent in Wheeling changed +2.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 10 West Virginia cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.2%.
Rent rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($48,590) is $1,215 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,020); a 3-bedroom is $1,310.
Steubenville, OH, 23 miles away, rents for 12% less ($719/mo), about $1,200 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Wheeling. 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
Wheeling, WV is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income below the national average, 34.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Wheeling, WV has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2023, rent in Wheeling, WV has climbed by $106 per month, settling near $817 after starting the period at $711. On the earnings side, the typical household in Wheeling, WV now reports about $48,590, up from $43,483 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 3.2 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 27,142 to 26,350 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.9% change. About 40.2% of households rent today, against 38.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 31% to 34.1%. For context, the 2023 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Wheeling, WV reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $817/mo, how Wheeling rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Wheeling rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Wheeling. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Wheeling
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Wheeling is $817/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $700/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,020/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $840/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,310/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($48,590/yr), Wheeling ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Wheeling?
How does Wheeling rent compare to other cities in West Virginia?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Wheeling?
At $817/mo, rent takes ~20% of Wheeling's median household income ($48,590/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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