West Virginia
Ranked #1 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$164K
2.93x income
Median Rent
🔑$850
27.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$56K
Population: 1,775,156
Homeownership
🏡74.0%
1,488 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉10,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨4,192
Price-to-Income
📊2.93x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️13.0%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($995) is above the state median rent ($850) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in West Virginia
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | 92 | $160K | $831 | $58K | 23.3% |
| Wheeling | 93 | $161K | $777 | $59K | 19.0% |
| Morgantown | 80 | $235K | $903 | $59K | 19.0% |
| Weirton-Steubenville | 96 | $126K | $760 | $53K | 25.6% |
| Beckley | 97 | $120K | $838 | $52K | 25.7% |
| Parkersburg-Vienna | 90 | $162K | $735 | $55K | 18.3% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
74.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
18.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
743,644
Owner-Occupied
546,870
Renter-Occupied
196,774
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
1,779
1-Year Change
+25.6%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
-3.1%
1,835 → 1,779
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
4,192
0.3% of national total
Single-Family
3,515
84% of state permits
Multi-Family
677
16% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
10,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.1% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
West Virginia burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
27.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
13.0%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
36,009
Households >35% Burden
33,860