Beckley, WV
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.36×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs West Virginia
- 2.54×-0.19
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-1.07
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
21.6%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs West Virginia
- 21.1%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-1.6
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.97%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs West Virginia
- 5.52%+0.45
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+1.62
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.04%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs West Virginia
- 0.03%=
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%=
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
0.70
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs West Virginia
- 0.43+0.27
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
5.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs West Virginia
- 4.4%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+58.5%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+11.7%
Median home value
$123,400
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $719 | $8,628 | 16.5% |
| 2 BR | $944 | $11,328 | 21.6% |
| 3 BR | $1,313 | $15,756 | 30.1% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
5.0%
Median household income
$52,345
What's being built
Total TTM
80
+37.5% YoY
Single-family
80
2–4 unit
0
5+ unit
0
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh County | 74,303 | $142,600 | $52,055 | 51 | +54.5% |
| Fayette County | 40,545 | $104,200 | $52,672 | 29 | +7.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Beckley | 114,848 | $52,345 | 2.36× | 5.97% | +58.5% | 0.70 | 5.0% |
| Farmington, NM | 121,798 | $53,020 | — | — | +52.9% | — | 4.7% |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | 116,162 | $55,826 | — | — | +53.4% | — | 2.5% |
| Muncie, IN | 112,156 | $56,932 | — | — | +60.4% | — | 3.0% |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 116,536 | $57,149 | — | — | +53.0% | — | 5.0% |
| Gadsden, AL | 103,348 | $53,070 | — | — | +59.8% | — | 2.4% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+41
+0.04% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Fayette County, WV | 202 |
| Kanawha County, WV | 150 |
| Raleigh County, WV | 136 |
| Mercer County, WV | 78 |
| Wyoming County, WV | 75 |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 68 |
Who lives in Beckley
- Median age
- 43
- Bachelor's+
- 19.7%
- Owner-occupancy
- 75.0%
- Vacancy rate
- 16.0%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 40.0%
- Median household income
- $52,345
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.