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West Virginia Real Estate For Sale
Wild and wonderful West Virginia sits in the soft spot of every heart of its 1.7 million residents. West Virginia is a cultural center of Appalachia (pronounced Apple-achuh) and a reservoir of natural beauty. Get on google earth and look down on West Virginia from above. It’s all green. Of all the real estate markets in the U.S., West Virginia real estate has some of the best opportunities for investors looking to build their own homes and claim their own small slice of paradise. To help you get a handle on this gem of a state, we’ve compiled all you need to know about West Virginia’s real estate market and its way of life.
More About West Virginia
West Virginia might look small on a map, that’s because most of the land is on hillsides. This might be the hilliest, least flat state in America. If you smoothed West Virginia it would be about as large as Alabama. Southern West Virginia is a maze of gullies, valleys, hollows (pronounced hollers), and mountains as old as time. For newcomers used to the big sky, being confronted by mountain sides everywhere you go can take some getting used to. You’ll soon find though that being surrounded by green mountains is as comforting as a hug.
Real estate in West Virginia is nestled between Virginia to the east, Kentucky to the west, and Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to the north. Though people usually think of West Virginia as an isolated state, residents have uncommon access to much of the east coast and the midwest, being nearly equidistant to Chicago and New York City.
The real estate in West Virginia is remarkably hilly and veined with rivers and creeks that look lost in time. You’d seriously have a hard time going a half-mile without climbing or falling a hundred feet or so. Most towns are small, with maybe a few thousand people or so, and even the capital city of Charleston only has forty-eight thousand people. West Virginia is the state for anyone looking to live the small-town life.
West Virginia Real Estate Market
West Virginia has some of the most affordable real estate in the United States, both in terms of finished homes as well as actual land for sale. Whether you’re trying to buy your first home or build the house of your dreams, real estate in West Virginia is one of the easiest places in the United States to make that happen.
The median home value in West Virginia is $141,385, well below the national average of $374,900. This almost sounds too good for first-time homebuyers, but a three-bedroom house in or around any major city in West Virginia is well within reach for a large portion of homebuyers. Most real estate for sale in West Virginia range from $120,000 to $280,000, with luxury options around the $500,000 mark.
The West Virginia real estate market has seen consistent growth for twenty years, growth that has accelerated since 2017 to the point where it’s seeing double-digit appreciation rates. Now, that’s in line with the rest of the country which has seen a big spike in home value appreciation rates since 2020. What to keep in mind in West Virginia’s case is that its appreciation growth started before the introduction of new trends in home buying.
Homebuyers moving to West Virginia can expect their real estate’s value to increase at least by 2% yearly for the foreseeable future, and most likely that rate will be closer to 4% or 5%.
The majority of real estate for sale in West Virginia were built between 1970 and 1999, but you can find vintage houses for sale that date back to the 1940s and even farther back than that. It’s more than possible to find some old farmhouse or mountain homestead dating back to the 19th century. Most houses for sale in West Virginia are three bedrooms, though a sizable share feature two or four bedrooms as well.
West Virginia is a state of homeowners, with a homeownership rate of 71%. This coincides with its property makeup, where single-family homes make up just over 70% of all available properties. Ultimately West Virginia is a great market for new homebuyers looking to get started building up equity in a safe investment.
Top Cities in West Virginia
Charleston, WV- Charleston has a population of just under 50,000 and serves as West Virginia's state capital. A city on a river, Charleston sits at the junction of three major interstates, I-79, I-64, and I-77. Basically, if you’re traveling through West Virginia, you can’t help pass Charleston. Charleston is the true heart of West Virginia for this reason, and anyone who does a lot of driving for a living should make a point to settle down in Charleston. The median price for a single-family house for sale in Charleston, WV, is $164,000
Lewisburg, WV - Not far from the border with Virginia, Lewisburg is a growing city right along I-64 with lots of opportunities for young homebuyers and families looking for a place to settle down. The town itself only has a few thousand people but the surrounding area has a population of just over thirty thousand. Lewisburg has a vibrant downtown and the nearby luxury resort The Greenbrier is a local and regional favorite place to go to unwind and relax. The median price for a single-family house for sale in Lewisburg, WV is $235,000.
Bluefield, WV - ANother city right on the border of Virginia (in this case, the border splits the city in two) Bluefield is a quintessential West Virginia city. Bluefield got big as a railroad town, a major depot for all the coal coming out of the mining towns in the west of the state. Bluefield, WV has a population of nearly $10,000 and a median home price of $130,000.
Beckley, WV - Beckley is about halfway between Bluefield and Charleston, WV. With a population of 17,000, Beckley still feels like a small town while still providing city amenities to its residents. If you’re a nature lover moving to West Virginia (loving the outdoors is almost a prerequisite to live in West Virginia) Beckley should be at the top of your list of places to move to as it’s right next door to the New River Gorge National Park. The median price for a single-family house for sale in Beckley, WV is $139,000.
Morgantown, WV - You can’t talk about West Virginia without talking about Morgantown. Morgantown is home to West Virginia University and boy they’ll let you know it if you come through town. Whether you’re looking to set down roots in a college town or investing in rental property, Morgantown has a solid real estate market ready to receive you. The median price for a single-family home in Morgantown, WV is $290,000.
West Virginia Schools
West Virginia has hundreds of schools operating across the state and dozens of districts to choose from. West Virginia spends an annual average of twelve thousand dollars on its students, which enjoy small class sizes, usually around 14 students per class, ensuring that students get plenty of focused attention from their teachers. We’ve compiled the top five school districts in West Virginia to help you choose the best place to settle down.
Ohio County School District
Based in Wheeling, WV up in West Virginia’s panhandle between Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Ohio County School District is well respected throughout the state as running some of the best schools for both students and teachers.
Wayne County Board of Education
Wayne County is as west as you can get in West Virginia without running into Kentucky. The Wayne County Board of Education operates over twenty public schools, including three high schools.
Jackson County Schools
Jackson County Schools are centered around Ripley, WV, north of Charleston near the border with Ohio. Jackson County Schools operate nearly nine elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.
Hancock County Schools
Hancock County is way up at the very top of West Virginia’s panhandle. This small district has three elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.
Greenbrier County Schools
Greenbrier County Schools
Located in southeast West Virginia on the border with Virginia, Greenbrier County Schools serves nearly five thousand students divided into nine elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. This school district services the city of Lewisburg, WV.
FAQ About West Virginia Real Estate
Where are the commercial airports in West Virginia?
- Charleston - Yeager Airport
- Huntington - Tri-State Airport
What major landmarks/attractions are a must-see in West Virginia?
The New River Gorge National Park- This new national park is one of the prettiest in the United States. Imagine a smaller grand canyon but covered with trees. The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world, almost sixty-four million years old, some say.
A Mountaineer Game- Head to Morgantown for any major home game and see a football spectacle rivaled by a few other teams in the nation. West Virginia University students take football seriously, and Mountaineer games are high-energy affairs to say the least.
Green Bank Observatory - located out in the middle of nowhere even by West Virginia standards, a trip to the Green Bank Observatory is well worth the time spent on the road. This observatory has the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope and offers tours of its facilities that will satisfy your inner astronomer’s curiosity.
Is West Virginia a good place to live?
Beacause of West Virginia's unique position on the map and mountainous terrain, many find West Virginia to be an amazing place to live and enjoy nature. West Virginia is more affordable than much of Denver and yet offers similar natural amenities. In addition, it's proximity to some major cities means that it doesn't simply have to be a second home destination or mountain retreat.
Living in West Virginia
Life in West Virginia can be quiet and private or fast-paced and involving depending on where you live. Outside of Morgantown and Charleston though, chances are you’re going to have plenty of opportunities for alone time on your hands. That being said, just about every county hosts several community events throughout the year, everything from farmer’s market to Bluegrass festivals and more. West Virginia has a long and storied history in the arts, with great pieces of music, poetry, literature, and film coming out of the state for a century or more.
Whether you want to be a hermit in the woods, or a good old local always to be found downtown, West Virginia can make that happen for you.
Weather
Outside of hurricanes, you can expect just about every kind of weather in West Virginia. Generally, the summers don’t get too hot, with most days peaking out in the mid-80s. The winters can be bitterly cold for the region's standards, but you won’t be dealing with Minnesota levels of cold. Usually, West Virginia gets plenty of snow coming down from the Great Lakes and frequent (but brief) thunderstorms in the summer.
Jobs in West Virginia
West Virginia built its reputation on coal mining during the twentieth century, but as the industry continues to contract new avenues of economic growth have opened up, everything from health care, manufacturing, and construction rising up to fill the gap that coal is leaving behind. As work from home becomes a more viable option and as high-speed internet reaches more and more parts of the state, West Virginia will soon be a state supporting virtually any kind of job.
West Virginia Fun Facts
- John Denver’s “Country Roads, Take Me Home” is indeed the state song, as it should be.
- The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
- The popular apple type golden delicious originated in West Virginia.
- Bill Withers, famous for his songs “Ain't No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me” is from Slab Fork, West Virginia.