Kanawha County, West Virginia Housing Market

In Kanawha County, West Virginia, the median home value is $147,300, with a median monthly rent of $906. This places Kanawha County at #2279 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #29 within West Virginia.

Median Home Value $147,300
Median Rent $906/mo
Owner Occupancy 71.1%
Price/Rent Ratio 13.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Kanawha County rose +1.8% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

75,129
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,260
  • Establishments: 6,468
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

97
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 93
  • Multi-family: 4
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+2972
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 71,542 (avg $69,576)
  • Outflow: 68,570 (avg $70,462)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 10 active ZIP codes in Kanawha County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 25312 200.2 -10.76% 2025
2 25143 203.3 +6.08% 2025
3 25311 160.8 +9.44% 2025
4 25309 187.5 +2.61% 2025
5 25071 218.7 +11.42% 2025
6 25064 164.2 -4.23% 2025
7 25313 188.3 -0.08% 2025
8 25314 176.1 +4.20% 2025
9 25303 184.3 +3.94% 2025
10 25302 159.7 +6.82% 2025

Source: FHFA HPI for Five-Digit ZIP Codes (All-Transactions Index, 2000 = 100).
This product uses FHFA Data but is neither endorsed nor certified by FHFA.

How Kanawha County Compares

MetricKanawha CountyWest Virginia AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $147,300 $148,003 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $906 $777 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 71.1% 78.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 13.5 15.8 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Kanawha County is about equal to the West Virginia state average and 35.3% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $906/month is 16.6% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 13.5, buying a home in Kanawha County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Kanawha County has an owner-occupancy rate of 71.1%, compared to 78.4% in West Virginia and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Lincoln County Kentucky $147,300 $698
Pierce County North Dakota $147,300 $850
Lynn County Texas $147,300 $927
Potter County Texas $147,300 $1,022
Lawrence County Pennsylvania $147,200 $831

Other Counties in West Virginia

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Taylor County $148,800 $835 83.9%
Greenbrier County $149,000 $868 73.1%
Marshall County $149,800 $837 78.4%
Randolph County $144,800 $821 75.0%
Raleigh County $150,900 $902 75.3%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).