Low Income Apartments For Rent in Charleston, WV

There are 588 low-income apartments in Charleston that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Charleston, West Virginia can range from $450 to $450 depending on the number of bedrooms.

Rental assistance programs support 1,764 low-income homes in Charleston where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $315 towards rent each month.

Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on July 7th, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Charleston, West Virginia

Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.

Housing Authority	Programs
Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV); Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV)

Go to the West Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Charleston.

Charleston, West Virginia Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston features 1,764 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.

Low Rent Apartments in Charleston, West Virginia

There are 588 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Charleston.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Charleston, West Virginia

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Charleston landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Charleston.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Charleston, West Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $895 and $1,093.

2024 Charleston, West Virginia Fair Market Rents and Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards

Fair Market Rents can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used by HUD to establish payment and rent standards for federal rental assistance programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

	Studio	One BR	Two BR	Three BR	Four BR
Charleston, West Virginia Fair Market Rent	$688	$816	$994	$1,300	$1,324
Charleston, West Virginia Payment Standard Range	$619 to $757	$734 to $898	$895 to $1,093	$1,170 to $1,430	$1,192 to $1,456

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Charleston, WV Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 51

Total Low Income Apartments 2,368

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 1,764

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 41.54%

Average Renter Household Size 1.94

Average Household Size 2.12

Median Household Income $48,442 ±$1,991

Median Rent $691 ±$26

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 42.06% ± 3.72pp

Total Population 50,566

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	51
Total Low Income Apartments	2,368
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	1,764
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	41.54%
Average Renter Household Size	1.94
Average Household Size	2.12
Median Household Income	$48,442 ±$1,991
Median Rent	$691 ±$26
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	42.06% ± 3.72pp
Total Population	50,566

Population and Household Demographics

Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia with a population of 50,566. There are 22,766 households in the city with an average household size of 2.12 persons. 41.54% of households in Charleston are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Charleston

The median gross income for households in Charleston is $48,442 a year, or $4,037 a month. The median rent for the city is $691 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Charleston, a household making less than $2,303 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 42.06% of households who rent are overburdened in Charleston.

Area Median Income In Charleston

Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's income is compared to the incomes of all other households in the area. This is accomplished through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.

HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For Charleston, the AMI is calculated from all households within Kanawha County.

In Charleston, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $79,600

Most affordable housing programs determine eligibility based on the percent of AMI a given household's income is. Among the programs that determine eligibility based on the AMI are Section 8, HOME, LIHTC, Section 515, 202 and 811.

Rental Assistance in Charleston

Rental assistance is a type of housing subsidy that pays for a portion of a renter’s monthly housing costs, including rent and tenant paid utilities. This housing assistance can come in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based Section 8 contracts, public housing, USDA Rental Assistance (in Section 515 properties) as well as HUD Section 202 and 811 properties for elderly and disabled households.

Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in Charleston

	1 Person	2 Person	3 Person	4 Person	5 Person	6 Person	7 Person	8 Person
30% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 30% of the Charleston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$14,800	$19,720	$24,860	$30,000	$35,140	$40,280	$43,600	$46,400
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Charleston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$24,650	$28,150	$31,650	$35,150	$38,000	$40,800	$43,600	$46,400
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Charleston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$39,350	$45,000	$50,600	$56,200	$60,700	$65,200	$69,700	$74,200