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: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $84,111 | $94,066 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -2.1% | 1.9% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $879 | $849 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.3% | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Kanawha County is about 11% lower than in West Virginia. Rent is about 3% higher than the West Virginia average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Kanawha County: home prices fell about 2.1% a year while rent rose about 3.3% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Kanawha County rose about 26.0% between 2015 and 2023, from $697 to $879. Over the same span, rent in West Virginia rose about 32.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.4 yearly household incomes in Kanawha County.
Buying the median-priced home in Kanawha County costs roughly 8.0 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 Kanawha County. The price-to-rent ratio in West Virginia is about 9.2.
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $84,111 | $94,066 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $58,918 | $57,886 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.4 | 1.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Kanawha County fell about 10.1%, while median household income rose about 42.1% 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 | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.6% | 62.4% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 25.3% | 21.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 15.0% | 16.1% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 18.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2008 | 2011 |
Kanawha County has a homeownership rate of 59.6%, lower than the West Virginia average of 62.4%. Its housing vacancy rate is 15.0%, compared with 16.1% in West Virginia.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.28 people | 2.40 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1967 | 1974 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Kanawha County was built around 1967. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
What is the median home price in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The median home price in Kanawha County, West Virginia is $84,111, lower than the West Virginia average of $94,066.
What is the average home price in Kanawha County, 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 Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The median gross rent in Kanawha County, West Virginia is $879 per month, higher than the West Virginia average of $849.
What was the median gross rent in Kanawha County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Kanawha County, West Virginia was $748 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in Kanawha County, West Virginia is about 8.0, meaning it would take roughly 8.0 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 Kanawha County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Kanawha County: home prices fell about 2.1% a year while rent rose about 3.3% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
59.6% of households in Kanawha County, West Virginia own their home, lower than the West Virginia average of 62.4%.
What is the vacancy rate in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in Kanawha County, West Virginia is 15.0%, lower than the West Virginia average of 16.1%.