Charleston: Housing & Real Estate
The median Charleston home is valued at $203,300 (estimated market value runs 21% higher at $245,764), with median rent $908 (about the same as Kanawha County median $906; about the same as West Virginia median $872). Homeownership rate: 63.3%. That's 1.4× higher than the Kanawha County median ($147,300); 1.3× higher than the West Virginia median ($162,600). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 17.0%. New construction makes up 3.2% of stock. 12 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 3.1× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs West Virginia 2.7×).
- 18.7 years to break even renting at the median (vs West Virginia 14y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 12% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $203,300 — 1.4× the West Virginia median ($146,500). Median rent $908/month. homeownership rate 63.3% — near the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 3.1× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 16.4% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 37.0% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 15.8% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.2% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $714 (at West Virginia median) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $829 (vs West Virginia $816) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,036 (vs West Virginia $973) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,325 (vs West Virginia $1,264) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,372 (vs West Virginia $1,410) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Charleston, WV HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $245,764 |
| Median Home Value | $203,300 (vs West Virginia $146,500) |
| Median Rent | $908 (vs West Virginia $851) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 17.0% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 3.2% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 8.5% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 12 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (7)
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at West Virginia median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at West Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at West Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 50.2% (vs West Virginia 70.9%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 28,838 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 15.07¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 866456 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $1,609 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 0.997627521 (at West Virginia median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.979833926 (vs West Virginia 100.0%) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 10 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 10 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 25 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 9 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 63.3% (vs West Virginia 65.0%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1957 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12