Charleston, West Virginia Housing Market Prices
Charleston Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 17% below the West Virginia median$78,975
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Median rent 5% above the West Virginia median$919
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Charleston | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $78,975 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -3.0% | 1.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $919 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Charleston is about 17% lower than in West Virginia. Rent is about 5% higher than the West Virginia average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Charleston: home prices fell about 3.0% a year while rent rose about 3.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Charleston rose about 33.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $689 to $919. Over the same span, rent in West Virginia rose about 35.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.2 yearly household incomes in Charleston.
Buying the median-priced home in Charleston costs roughly 7.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Charleston. The price-to-rent ratio in West Virginia is about 9.1.
| Metric | Charleston | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $78,975 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $65,171 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.2 | 1.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Charleston fell about 17.9%, while median household income rose about 47.6% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Charleston | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.4% | 63.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 31.0% | 21.3% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 17.6% | 15.4% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 18.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2008 | 2011 |
Charleston has a homeownership rate of 51.4%, lower than the West Virginia average of 63.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 17.6%, compared with 15.4% in West Virginia.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Charleston | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.15 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1957 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Charleston was built around 1957. On average, 2.1 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Charleston, West Virginia.
What is the median home price in Charleston, West Virginia?
The median home price in Charleston, West Virginia is $78,975, lower than the West Virginia average of $94,699.
What is the average home price in Charleston, West Virginia?
The typical home price in Charleston, West Virginia, reported as the median sale price, is $78,975. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Charleston, West Virginia?
The median gross rent in Charleston, West Virginia is $919 per month, higher than the West Virginia average of $871.
What was the median gross rent in Charleston in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Charleston, West Virginia was $748 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Charleston, West Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in Charleston, West Virginia is about 7.2, meaning it would take roughly 7.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Charleston.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Charleston, West Virginia?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Charleston: home prices fell about 3.0% a year while rent rose about 3.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Charleston, West Virginia?
51.4% of households in Charleston, West Virginia own their home, lower than the West Virginia average of 63.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Charleston, West Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in Charleston, West Virginia is 17.6%, higher than the West Virginia average of 15.4%.
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