Parkersburg-Vienna, 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
2.71×
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×-0.72
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
19.9%
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%-1.3
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-3.4
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.77%
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%+0.43
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.03%
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
1.12
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
- 0.53+0.59
- vs U.S.
- 3.53
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
5.9%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs West Virginia
- 5.4%
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
owner-occupant market
Investor loan share
6.4%
800 purchase loans · 26.6% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+40.2%
homeValues.yearOverYear
-2.4%
Median home value
$151,600
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $745 | $8,940 | 16.0% |
| 2 BR | $928 | $11,136 | 19.9% |
| 3 BR | $1,194 | $14,328 | 25.6% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
5.9%
Median household income
$56,029
What's being built
Total TTM
100
Single-family
94
2–4 unit
6
5+ unit
0
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County | 84,272 | $153,700 | $56,193 | 85 | |
| Pleasants County | 7,622 | $129,300 | $61,038 | 3 | — |
| Wirt County | 5,202 | $112,800 | $54,688 | 12 | 0.0% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Parkersburg | 89,474 | $56,029 | 2.71× | 4.77% | +40.2% | 1.12 | 5.9% |
| Grants Pass, OR | 87,994 | $59,097 | — | — | +29.4% | — | 6.8% |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 95,118 | $59,413 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hinesville, GA | 82,354 | $60,329 | — | — | +67.8% | — | 3.7% |
| Hot Springs, AR | 100,021 | $55,409 | — | — | +62.4% | — | 4.4% |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 83,089 | $61,992 | — | — | — | — | — |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+23
+0.03% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Washington County, OH | 339 |
| Wood County, WV | 82 |
| Jackson County, WV | 73 |
| Pleasants County, WV | 56 |
| Kanawha County, WV | 46 |
| Monongalia County, WV | 38 |
Who lives in Parkersburg
- Median age
- 44
- Bachelor's+
- 22.6%
- Owner-occupancy
- 75.1%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.2%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 43.6%
- Median household income
- $56,029
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |