Charleston, WV housing market
The typical Charleston home is worth about $167,000, up 2.6% in a year, 7% below the West Virginia typical home. Homes typically sell in 34 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Charleston compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Charleston at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.4 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Charleston | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $114,000 | $114,000 |
| 2018 | $114,000 | $116,000 |
| 2019 | $115,000 | $120,000 |
| 2020 | $119,000 | $122,000 |
| 2021 | $127,000 | $137,000 |
| 2022 | $137,000 | $149,000 |
| 2023 | $146,000 | $158,000 |
| 2024 | $153,000 | $163,000 |
| 2025 | $162,000 | $175,000 |
| 2026 | $164,000 | $176,000 |
| August 2026 | $167,000 | $180,000 |
9 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 9 new homes in Charleston in 2025: 7 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $1.9 million to build. That's 0.2 per 1,000 residents, slower than across West Virginia (2.9). Over the past 10 years, Charleston has permitted 185 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Charleston's population fell by 2,536 even though 198 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $382,000 |
| 2025 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.9 million |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 | 0 | $5.4 million |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $4.9 million |
| 2022 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $1.7 million |
| 2021 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.7 million |
| 2020 | 43 | 39 | 4 | $6.8 million |
| 2019 | 34 | 34 | 0 | $5 million |
| 2018 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2017 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2016 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2015 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2014 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2013 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2012 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5.2 million |
| 2011 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2010 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $5.7 million |
| 2009 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $6 million |
| 2008 | 58 | 34 | 24 | $10.8 million |
| 2007 | 27 | 27 | 0 | $12.1 million |
| 2006 | 43 | 43 | 0 | $11.4 million |
| 2005 | 57 | 57 | 0 | $12.7 million |
| 2004 | 70 | 70 | 0 | $15.5 million |
| 2003 | 47 | 41 | 6 | $9.2 million |
| 2002 | 99 | 44 | 55 | $13.3 million |
| 2001 | 59 | 59 | 0 | $11.9 million |
| 2000 | 64 | 61 | 3 | $13.1 million |
How Charleston ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Charleston and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $167K | +2.6% | $1,110 | 9 | $65,812 |
| South Charleston | $175K | +5.3% | $1,020 | 7 | $63,884 |
| Malden | — | — | $1,440 | — | $50,774 |
| Dunbar | $124K | −5.3% | $1,070 | 2 | $58,379 |
2.5 years of income
The typical Charleston home costs about 2.5 years of the town's median household income, less than across West Virginia (3 years).
How Charleston ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,110
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Charleston is $1,110 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Charleston pay a median of $908, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $770 · 4 bedrooms $1,480
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (25301, 25302, 25304, 25309, 25311, 25312 and 2 more; Charleston, WV HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.