Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
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
2.55×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs West Virginia
- 2.54×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.88
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%-1.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.52%
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%=
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+1.17
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.05%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs West Virginia
- 0.03%+0.02
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.02
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.34
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+0.91
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.4%
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
+45.6%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+7.2%
Median home value
$149,000
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $803 | $9,636 | 16.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,054 | $12,648 | 21.6% |
| 3 BR | $1,461 | $17,532 | 30.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.4%
Median household income
$58,483
What's being built
Total TTM
481
+153.0% YoY
Single-family
227
2–4 unit
43
5+ unit
211
All 8 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabell County | 93,965 | $156,100 | $52,828 | 74 | +57.5% |
| Lawrence County | 57,994 | $135,600 | $54,842 | 20 | +122.2% |
| Putnam County | 57,347 | $214,200 | $77,871 | 294 | +209.5% |
| Boyd County | 48,242 | $126,300 | $60,659 | 10 | +400.0% |
| Wayne County | 38,933 | $124,900 | $55,539 | 60 | +11.1% |
| Greenup County | 35,853 | $135,300 | $59,613 | 22 | +29.4% |
| Carter County | 26,671 | $126,100 | $50,389 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lawrence County | 16,228 | $108,100 | $45,584 | — | — |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Huntington | 359,005 | $58,483 | 2.55× | 5.52% | +45.6% | 1.34 | 4.4% |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 366,031 | $60,255 | — | — | +64.9% | — | 3.3% |
| Gainesville, FL | 341,067 | $58,946 | — | — | +56.1% | — | 5.3% |
| Ocala, FL | 378,225 | $58,535 | — | — | +60.9% | — | 5.6% |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 326,159 | $57,762 | — | — | +48.8% | — | 3.6% |
| Montgomery, AL | 384,740 | $62,746 | — | — | +45.2% | — | 2.3% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+175
+0.05% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Kanawha County, WV | 808 |
| Cabell County, WV | 787 |
| Boyd County, KY | 561 |
| Wayne County, WV | 486 |
| Lawrence County, OH | 413 |
| Greenup County, KY | 324 |
Who lives in Huntington
- Median age
- 42
- Bachelor's+
- 23.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 73.0%
- Vacancy rate
- 13.5%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 41.5%
- Median household income
- $58,483
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.