We’re excited to prospect for the pepperoni roll-priced paradises in West Virginia.
Living in West Virginia’s most affordable places frees up cash to raft The Gorge in Lansing or visit the West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg.
We used Saturday Night Science and Census data to determine the most affordable places to live in West Virginia. We compared the cost of living, real estate prices, and incomes for all 25 cities in West Virginia over 5,000 people.
So, if you’re intrigued by prospecting for affordable living in the Mountain State, take a tour of the cheapest places to live.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in West Virginia
What’s the most affordable place to live in West Virginia for 2024? The most affordable place to live in West Virginia is Bluefield.
To see how your city compares, look at the list below. And if you don’t see you’re favorite there, head to the bottom of a complete list of affordable cities in West Virginia.
Check out some more reading about West Virginia and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia For 2024
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Population: 9,619
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $45,854
Median Home Price: $101,761
Median Rent: $854
Bluefield comes in as the cheapest place to call home in West Virginia, thanks to super low prices on housing. How low are we talking here? Well, at $101,761, Bluefield has the first least expensive homes for sale in the state. And a sub-$600/month rent gives Bluefield the second lowest rent on this list. If you want to rise above the stress of personal finance, we recommend a visit to East River Mountain Overlook for stunning views of Mercer County.
Bluefield is in the southern part of the state, on the Virginia border.
More on Bluefield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,056
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $46,070
Median Home Price: $117,602
Median Rent: $831
Moundsville is built along the Ohio River, just across the water from the state of Ohio, in the northernmost part of West Virginia. For a town of just 8,056 people, it provides access to a lot of interesting architecture. There’s the gothic West Virginia State Penitentiary, first built in 1876 and closed down in 1995. Meanwhile, a 25-minute drive will take you to America’s Taj Mahal, Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold.
But the main attraction for the residents of Moundsville? It ranks as the number 2 most affordable places to put down roots in West Virginia.
The cost of living comes in at 80% of the overall national average. That value mostly derives from the rock-bottom housing market. The median home price sits at $117,602, the sixth lowest mark in the state. Rents are equally cheap. You can score a rental for a median price of $831 per month.
True, median incomes are low in the area. That figure comes in at just $46,070. But in context, Moundsville still provides excellent value. It has the number 7.0 best home price-to-income ratio in West Virginia.
More on Moundsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 15,977
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $46,595
Median Home Price: $103,032
Median Rent: $748
Kicking off our list of most affordable places to live in West Virginia is Clarksburg, a small city in the north-central part of the state. If you’re looking to settle down in West Virginia for the long-haul, Clarksburg has you covered with the second cheapest homes for sale in West Virginia, with a median price of $103,032.
Thanks to a median income of $46,595, Clarksburg residents enjoy the best home price to income ratio in the state. Clarksburg’s rent to income ratio is also safely in the top ten, with a median rent of $748/month. Just be sure that you come to Clarksburg with your party-face on, because this city has five festivals a year, celebrating everything from ethnic heritages to Jesus.
More on Clarksburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,210
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $50,235
Median Home Price: $135,488
Median Rent: $706
Located along the Ohio River in northern West Virginia, New Martinsville ranks as the fourth most affordable place in the state for 2024. We don’t think folks in New Martinsville need any convincing that they live in one of the cheapest states in America. Not when they can get a house for $135,488 or an apartment for $706/month. New Martinsville is affordable for both renters and buyers, but buyers have a slight edge, thanks to the city’s standing as the 11th easiest place to pay off the mortgage statewide.
More on New Martinsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,935
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $39,875
Median Home Price: $142,726
Median Rent: $812
In Randolph County, 1.5 hours south of Morgantown, Elkins ranks as the fifth cheapest city in West Virginia. According to Zillow, the average home price is the 14th lowest in the state at $142,726.
Elkins is close to Blackwater Falls State Park and Spruce Mountain for weekend activities.
More on Elkins: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,833
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $41,782
Median Home Price: $151,800
Median Rent: $720
If you’re a single guy or gal looking for an affordable place to find love in West Virginia, Princeton might just be the place for you. That’s because, in addition to being the sixth cheapest city to live statewide, Princeton is also one of the best cities for singles in West Virginia, thanks to awesome date-night options like catching a show at the Chuck Mathena Center. Buying a home in Princeton will set you back about $151,800, which, combined with a median income of $41,782 gives the city the 22nd best home price to income ratio in West Virginia.
More on Princeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 29,685
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $41,921
Median Home Price: $134,004
Median Rent: $758
You should feel comfortable parking your things in Parkersburg. Parkersburg is the seventh cheapest city in the Mountain State. It’s easy to save money when home prices are $134,004 and the overall cost of living sits at 85, 4.5% lower than the West Virginia average.
Parkersburg, with a population of 29,685, is one of the bigger cities in West Virginia, located along the Ohio and West Virginia border. Parkersburg City Park and Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park offer fun things to do.
More on Parkersburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,418
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 86
Median Income: $48,396
Median Home Price: $114,878
Median Rent: $911
Dunbar offers a high quality of life at an affordable price point, making it an excellent choice for those looking to call West Virginia home. The cost of living in Dunbar is significantly lower than many other cities in the state.
Dunbar offers several parks, including the Wine Cellar Park, a National Register of Historic Places site. The park features three well-preserved stone walk-in wine cellars from before the Civil War, which was used to store locally-made wine. The park also boasts a 7-acre lake and picnic facilities. Additionally, Dunbar City Park provides a multi-purpose recreation building, playgrounds, and picnic areas.
More on Dunbar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 26,900
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 87
Median Income: $46,516
Median Home Price: $133,839
Median Rent: $748
One of principal cities of northern West Virginia, Wheeling comes in as the ninth least expensive place to live statewide. West Virginia is already known for being a state with some of the lowest rent prices in America, but Wheeling takes those savings to the next level. The median rent in Wheeling is $748/month. Add to that a median income of $46,516, and you’ve got residents paying the 12th smallest percentage of their income on housing statewide.
And as a major city, you can be sure you’ll never be bored in Wheeling. Between the Capitol Theater, Centre Market, the Good Zoo, Oglebay Park, and countless other hot spots, you’ll never run out of things to do in Wheeling.
More on Wheeling: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Wheeling is a relatively safe, small town located in a tri-state area of the Ohio Valley within 60 minutes of Pittsburgh, PA with the nearest international airport.
The waterfront of downtown can also be lively in the summer with various music events. The Center Market area is a cute, trendy spot with a local brewery, a wine bar, a hair salon, a coffee shop, a creperie and some antiques shops. Don’t miss Ogelbay Park, a wonderful resort with upscale dining, golf, tennis, and more and the Festival of Lights at Christmas.
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Population: 18,971
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 87
Median Income: $57,373
Median Home Price: $130,867
Median Rent: $699
Welcome to Weirton, the tenth least expensive to call home in the Mountain State. At a median price of $130,867, Weirton has the ninth cheapest homes in West Virginia. But that’s not the most important point here; it’s that, with a median income of $57,373, Weirton residents pay the fourth smallest proportion of their salaries on homes. On top of that, Weirton has the third best rent to income ratio statewide. Weirton also scored a 8/10 on our overall SnackAbility scale, with an emphasis on good schools, solid amenities, and on being one of the safest places in West Virginia. All that for some of the lowest prices in West Virginia. Sounds like a bargain to me!
Weirton is about 45 minutes west of Pittsburgh.
More on Weirton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in West Virginia FAQs
The county in West Virginia with the lowest cost of living is Jefferson County. The average living wage in Jefferson County is $101,469 according to MIT data. Jefferson County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to West Virginia as a whole. Childcare costs $28,262 a year in Jefferson County for two children compared to the West Virginia average of $17,259. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $11,184 per year in Jefferson County compared to $9,229 on average in West Virginia.
The cost of living in West Virginia is 3.4% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in West Virginia is $86,704 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a West Virginia household is $48,037.
The cheapest housing market in West Virginia is Grafton. The average home value in Grafton is $77,500, the lowest in the state. The average home value in West Virginia is $123,200, almost 1.6 times higher than Grafton.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Mountain State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in West Virginia boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for West Virginia using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in West Virginia to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 25 places in West Virginia that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in West Virginia with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Bluefield.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in West Virginia.
West Virginia Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in West Virginia for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in West Virginia.
The cheapest cities in West Virginia are Bluefield, Moundsville, Clarksburg, New Martinsville, Elkins, Princeton, Parkersburg, Dunbar, Wheeling, and Weirton.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in West Virginia according to the data:
- Charles Town
- Bridgeport
- Martinsburg
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluefield | 9,619 | 82 | $45,854 | $101,761 | $854 |
| 2 | Moundsville | 8,056 | 82 | $46,070 | $117,602 | $831 |
| 3 | Clarksburg | 15,977 | 83 | $46,595 | $103,032 | $748 |
| 4 | New Martinsville | 5,210 | 83 | $50,235 | $135,488 | $706 |
| 5 | Elkins | 6,935 | 84 | $39,875 | $142,726 | $812 |
| 6 | Princeton | 5,833 | 84 | $41,782 | $151,800 | $720 |
| 7 | Parkersburg | 29,685 | 85 | $41,921 | $134,004 | $758 |
| 8 | Dunbar | 7,418 | 86 | $48,396 | $114,878 | $911 |
| 9 | Wheeling | 26,900 | 87 | $46,516 | $133,839 | $748 |
| 10 | Weirton | 18,971 | 87 | $57,373 | $130,867 | $699 |
| 11 | Fairmont | 18,402 | 87 | $55,084 | $157,592 | $860 |
| 12 | Buckhannon | 5,201 | 88 | $43,621 | $152,327 | $712 |
| 13 | Huntington | 46,637 | 89 | $39,066 | $115,258 | $841 |
| 14 | Oak Hill | 8,157 | 89 | $48,050 | $127,514 | $776 |
| 15 | Beckley | 17,132 | 91 | $41,277 | $113,834 | $862 |
| 16 | South Charleston | 13,527 | 91 | $58,756 | $153,555 | $832 |
| 17 | Nitro | 6,540 | 91 | $49,742 | $121,752 | $834 |
| 18 | St. Albans | 10,753 | 92 | $60,524 | $138,016 | $931 |
| 19 | Vienna | 10,642 | 92 | $62,979 | $174,695 | $819 |
| 20 | Hurricane | 6,908 | 94 | $70,861 | $240,660 | $856 |
| 21 | Charleston | 48,415 | 95 | $58,902 | $154,944 | $870 |
| 22 | Morgantown | 30,220 | 96 | $41,103 | $267,332 | $901 |
| 23 | Martinsburg | 18,678 | 98 | $55,240 | $275,161 | $1,046 |
| 24 | Bridgeport | 9,255 | 100 | $96,063 | $269,583 | $1,195 |
| 25 | Charles Town | 6,584 | 106 | $83,275 | $372,666 | $963 |
