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Lewis County, WV

Rent vs Own in Lewis County, West Virginia

In Lewis County the ownership stack ($870/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $869/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 5,031.

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Renting is cheaper in Lewis County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $869/mo - only a thin step below the $870/mo ownership stack. That is a $1/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Lewis County

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $56,477, and the 2.7x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 1.2% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 2

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Lewis County ranks 40 of 55 West Virginia counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 15 other West Virginia counties on this measure.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Lewis County from $852/mo in FY2025 to $869/mo in FY2026: it increased by $17/mo (+2.0%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 4

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $151,800 for the median home and $692/yr in tax (0.46%), Lewis County's ownership stack (~$870/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $869/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $1/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$870
Mortgage (P&I) $768
Property Tax $58
Insurance (est.) $44
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$869
Studio$667
1-Bedroom$754
2-Bedroom$869
3-Bedroom$1,146
4-Bedroom$1,151

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$56,477
$4,706/mo
Home Price / Income
2.7x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.2%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Lewis County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Households earning $50,000 to $75,000 file the largest share of these write-offs in Lewis County, an ordinary middle-income profile.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Kanawha County
Home: $147,300 Tax: $964/yr
Berkeley County
Home: $266,300 Tax: $1,398/yr
Wood County
Home: $158,500 Tax: $941/yr
Monongalia County
Home: $267,700 Tax: $1,248/yr
Cabell County
Home: $164,400 Tax: $992/yr
Raleigh County
Home: $150,900 Tax: $754/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lewis County, West Virginia? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Lewis County (about $1/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Lewis County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $56,477 household here can afford up to $169,431, which comfortably covers this county's $151,800 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the average rent in Lewis County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $869/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $484/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
What is the median home price in Lewis County? ▼
$151,800, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.46% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
How does Lewis County compare to other West Virginia counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 55 West Virginia counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Lewis County lands at spot 40, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/west-virginia">West Virginia state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Lewis County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 2.0% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →