Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Counties in West Virginia
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $94,066 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 1.9% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $849 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — |
The median home price in West Virginia is about 61% lower than in US. Rent is about 37% lower than the US average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in West Virginia, up about 1.9% and 3.7% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in West Virginia rose about 32.2% between 2015 and 2023, from $642 to $849. Over the same span, rent in US rose about 45.1%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.6 yearly household incomes in West Virginia.
Buying the median-priced home in West Virginia costs roughly 9.2 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 West Virginia. The price-to-rent ratio in US is about 15.0.
| Metric | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $94,066 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $57,886 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in West Virginia rose about 15.0%, while median household income rose about 54.9% between 2009 and 2023 — 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 | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 62.4% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 21.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 16.1% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 |
West Virginia has a homeownership rate of 62.4%, higher than the US average of 58.2%. Its housing vacancy rate is 16.1%, compared with 10.6% in US.
Housing Stock
| Metric | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.40 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1974 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in West Virginia was built around 1974. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in West Virginia.
What is the median home price in West Virginia?
The median home price in West Virginia is $94,066, lower than the US average of $242,182.
What is the average home price in West Virginia?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. 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 West Virginia?
The median gross rent in West Virginia is $849 per month, lower than the US average of $1,342.
What was the median gross rent in West Virginia in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in West Virginia was $732 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in West Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in West Virginia is about 9.2, meaning it would take roughly 9.2 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 West Virginia.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in West Virginia?
Both home prices and rent are rising in West Virginia, up about 1.9% and 3.7% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in West Virginia?
62.4% of households in West Virginia own their home, higher than the US average of 58.2%.
What is the vacancy rate in West Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in West Virginia is 16.1%, higher than the US average of 10.6%.