What HUD offices serve Ritchie County, 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.
Go to the West Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Ritchie County.
How many renters live in Ritchie County, West Virginia?
The County of Ritchie County has 8,507 people living in 3,257 households.
There are 1,631 renters living in 524 renter households in this County. Renters make up 19.17 percent of the population living in Ritchie County.
What is the rental market like in Ritchie County, West Virginia?
There are an estimated 4,242 housing units in the Ritchie County area. Of these, 547 units are rental homes, making up 13 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Ritchie County, West Virginia, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Ritchie County?
The rental vacancy rate in Ritchie County is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Ritchie County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Ritchie County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 89 | 121 | 199 | 103 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Ritchie County
A large number of apartments in Ritchie County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Ritchie County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 31 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 16 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Ritchie County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $679 to $1,129. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $679 |
| One BR | $704 |
| Two BR | $848 |
| Three BR | $1,025 |
| Four BR | $1,129 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Ritchie County, West Virginia
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Ritchie County?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 0 | 100 percent |
| One BR | 70 | 79 percent |
| Two BR | 52 | 43 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Ritchie County, West Virginia
How many affordable rental units are in Ritchie County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Ritchie County, West Virginia including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 38 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 41 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 64 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Ritchie County, West Virginia
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Ritchie County, West Virginia
Ritchie County features 88 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 Ritchie County, West Virginia
There are 38 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Ritchie County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Ritchie County, West Virginia
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Ritchie County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Ritchie County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Ritchie County, West Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $763 and $933.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
