Wayne County, West Virginia Housing Market

In Wayne County, West Virginia, the median home value is $127,100, with a median monthly rent of $915. This places Wayne County at #2522 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #35 within West Virginia.

Median Home Value $127,100
Median Rent $915/mo
Owner Occupancy 78.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 11.6

📈 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 Wayne County rose +7.7% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

5,207
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $990
  • Establishments: 644
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

61
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 61
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+441
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 13,511 (avg $56,428)
  • Outflow: 13,070 (avg $56,796)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Wayne County Compares

MetricWayne CountyWest Virginia AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $127,100 $148,003 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $915 $777 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 78.6% 78.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 11.6 15.8 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Wayne County is 14.1% below the West Virginia state average and 44.2% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $915/month is 17.8% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 11.6, buying a home in Wayne 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.

Wayne County has an owner-occupancy rate of 78.6%, compared to 78.4% in West Virginia and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Whiteside County Illinois $127,100 $856
Lane County Kansas $127,100 $590
Hockley County Texas $127,000 $850
Liberty County Florida $127,300 $943
Macon County Illinois $127,300 $847

Other Counties in West Virginia

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Hancock County $130,800 $771 74.5%
Barbour County $131,900 $803 78.3%
Roane County $122,100 $614 78.9%
Mercer County $121,700 $810 72.9%
Nicholas County $121,600 $686 82.2%

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).