Mercer County, West Virginia Housing Market Prices
Mercer County 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 29% below the West Virginia median Cheaper than 70% of counties in West Virginia$67,631
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Median rent 7% below the West Virginia median$810
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $67,631 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 4.8% | 1.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $810 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.9% | 3.6% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Mercer County is about 29% lower than in West Virginia. Rent is about 7% lower than the West Virginia average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mercer County, up about 4.8% and 3.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Mercer County rose about 36.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $595 to $810. Over the same span, rent in West Virginia rose about 35.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.3 yearly household incomes in Mercer County.
Buying the median-priced home in Mercer County costs roughly 7.0 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 Mercer County. The price-to-rent ratio in West Virginia is about 9.1.
| Metric | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $67,631 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $52,590 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Mercer County rose about 60.9%, while median household income rose about 51.1% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 60.2% | 63.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 22.4% | 21.3% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 17.5% | 15.4% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 18.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2008 | 2011 |
Mercer County has a homeownership rate of 60.2%, lower than the West Virginia average of 63.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 17.5%, compared with 15.4% in West Virginia.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.36 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1976 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Mercer County was built around 1976. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Mercer County, WV Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, WV is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 58,563 residents against a local median of 20,629. Where Mercer County, WV breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 20% below the local median of $84,848 at $67,631.
The counties themselves spread $100,030 on median home price, so Mercer County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, WV has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, WV | 58,563 | $67,631 #3/4 | $810 #3/4 | 72.9% #4/4 |
| Summers County, WV | 11,729 | $133,422 | $915 | 81.2% |
| Raleigh County, WV | 73,194 | $84,848 | $902 | 75.3% |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | $33,392 | $649 | 82.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Mercer County, West Virginia.
What is the median home price in Mercer County, West Virginia?
The median home price in Mercer County, West Virginia is $67,631, lower than the West Virginia average of $94,699.
What is the average home price in Mercer County, West Virginia?
The typical home price in Mercer County, West Virginia, reported as the median sale price, is $67,631. 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 Mercer County, West Virginia?
The median gross rent in Mercer County, West Virginia is $810 per month, lower than the West Virginia average of $871.
What was the median gross rent in Mercer County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Mercer County, West Virginia was $694 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Mercer County, West Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in Mercer County, West Virginia is about 7.0, meaning it would take roughly 7.0 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 Mercer County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Mercer County, West Virginia?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mercer County, up about 4.8% and 3.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Mercer County, West Virginia?
60.2% of households in Mercer County, West Virginia own their home, lower than the West Virginia average of 63.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Mercer County, West Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in Mercer County, West Virginia is 17.5%, higher than the West Virginia average of 15.4%.
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