Counties in West Virginia where people spend most of their paycheck on housing
Counties in West Virginia where people spend most of their paycheck on housing
It's no secret that many Americans are forgoing homeownership in favor of renting. In 2020, renters in the U.S. occupied 43 million housing units.
The Stacker team looked at data from a United States Census survey that revealed an estimated 43,378,800 renter-occupied homes in the United States as of 2017, which makes up 36.1% of all households in the country. In 2019, renting was more affordable than buying a median-priced home in 59% of the counties; in 2021, the opposite was true: Owning was more affordable than renting in 63% of U.S. counties.
Stacker compiled a list of counties in West Virginia where people spend the highest percent of income on rent using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, saving money by owning a home is unattainable for many Americans who don't have savings that could cover a down payment, those who are denied a mortgage, or both. Keep reading to see where in your home state most of people's take-home pay goes to their monthly rent.
#50. Ritchie County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 69.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 11.8%
- Total occupied households: 4,049
- Median household income: $43,577
- Median monthly housing cost: $400
#49. Tyler County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 66.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 14.9%
- Total occupied households: 3,207
- Median household income: $43,087
- Median monthly housing cost: $410
#48. Tucker County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.2%
- Total occupied households: 3,142
- Median household income: $49,118
- Median monthly housing cost: $481
#47. Calhoun County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 63.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 11.2%
- Total occupied households: 2,826
- Median household income: $38,382
- Median monthly housing cost: $376
#46. Mason County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 64.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 15.5%
- Total occupied households: 11,034
- Median household income: $46,078
- Median monthly housing cost: $464
#45. Taylor County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 63.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 15.7%
- Total occupied households: 6,614
- Median household income: $48,578
- Median monthly housing cost: $494
#44. Pendleton County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 64.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.3%
- Total occupied households: 3,174
- Median household income: $42,312
- Median monthly housing cost: $431
#43. Wetzel County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 65.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 14.8%
- Total occupied households: 5,762
- Median household income: $43,107
- Median monthly housing cost: $440
#42. Brooke County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 64.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 15.9%
- Total occupied households: 9,805
- Median household income: $51,496
- Median monthly housing cost: $533
#41. Lincoln County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.8%
- Total occupied households: 8,208
- Median household income: $42,345
- Median monthly housing cost: $442
#40. Preston County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 65.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.1%
- Total occupied households: 12,429
- Median household income: $51,888
- Median monthly housing cost: $548
#39. Clay County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 64.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.1%
- Total occupied households: 3,274
- Median household income: $35,024
- Median monthly housing cost: $374
#38. Webster County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.9%
- Total occupied households: 3,781
- Median household income: $34,927
- Median monthly housing cost: $383
#37. Pocahontas County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.8%
- Total occupied households: 3,530
- Median household income: $41,882
- Median monthly housing cost: $468
#36. Braxton County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 64.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.6%
- Total occupied households: 5,624
- Median household income: $41,466
- Median monthly housing cost: $468
#35. Marshall County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 62.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.5%
- Total occupied households: 12,308
- Median household income: $48,557
- Median monthly housing cost: $552
#34. Jackson County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.2%
- Total occupied households: 11,334
- Median household income: $47,837
- Median monthly housing cost: $554
#33. McDowell County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.6%
- Total occupied households: 7,607
- Median household income: $27,682
- Median monthly housing cost: $323
#32. Nicholas County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.8%
- Total occupied households: 10,069
- Median household income: $40,086
- Median monthly housing cost: $477
#31. Roane County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.5%
- Total occupied households: 5,562
- Median household income: $37,373
- Median monthly housing cost: $445
#30. Harrison County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 62.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.7%
- Total occupied households: 27,098
- Median household income: $53,022
- Median monthly housing cost: $635
#29. Ohio County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.4%
- Total occupied households: 17,193
- Median household income: $50,584
- Median monthly housing cost: $606
#28. Boone County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.1%
- Total occupied households: 8,932
- Median household income: $40,739
- Median monthly housing cost: $494
#27. Grant County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.6%
- Total occupied households: 4,607
- Median household income: $42,216
- Median monthly housing cost: $514
#26. Summers County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.5%
- Total occupied households: 5,566
- Median household income: $38,187
- Median monthly housing cost: $465
#25. Lewis County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.1%
- Total occupied households: 6,574
- Median household income: $39,908
- Median monthly housing cost: $492
#24. Barbour County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.8%
- Total occupied households: 6,324
- Median household income: $38,459
- Median monthly housing cost: $486
#23. Putnam County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.1%
- Total occupied households: 21,613
- Median household income: $60,097
- Median monthly housing cost: $764
#22. Monroe County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 15.4%
- Total occupied households: 5,718
- Median household income: $38,540
- Median monthly housing cost: $492
#21. Mineral County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.7%
- Total occupied households: 10,916
- Median household income: $49,936
- Median monthly housing cost: $639
#20. Marion County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.6%
- Total occupied households: 22,926
- Median household income: $50,305
- Median monthly housing cost: $644
#19. Hancock County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.1%
- Total occupied households: 12,678
- Median household income: $45,763
- Median monthly housing cost: $586
#18. Fayette County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.0%
- Total occupied households: 17,441
- Median household income: $41,394
- Median monthly housing cost: $537
#17. Mingo County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.5%
- Total occupied households: 10,501
- Median household income: $32,764
- Median monthly housing cost: $426
#16. Randolph County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.0%
- Total occupied households: 11,135
- Median household income: $43,320
- Median monthly housing cost: $574
#15. Mercer County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.8%
- Total occupied households: 25,216
- Median household income: $40,784
- Median monthly housing cost: $556
#14. Raleigh County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.8%
- Total occupied households: 31,203
- Median household income: $43,748
- Median monthly housing cost: $598
#13. Wood County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.1%
- Total occupied households: 35,488
- Median household income: $47,321
- Median monthly housing cost: $647
#12. Upshur County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.8%
- Total occupied households: 9,713
- Median household income: $40,322
- Median monthly housing cost: $554
#11. Hampshire County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.2%
- Total occupied households: 9,288
- Median household income: $47,857
- Median monthly housing cost: $658
#10. Logan County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.7%
- Total occupied households: 13,816
- Median household income: $36,168
- Median monthly housing cost: $507
#9. Kanawha County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.5%
- Total occupied households: 79,070
- Median household income: $46,639
- Median monthly housing cost: $656
#8. Greenbrier County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.1%
- Total occupied households: 15,188
- Median household income: $40,200
- Median monthly housing cost: $568
#7. Wayne County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.3%
- Total occupied households: 15,124
- Median household income: $37,988
- Median monthly housing cost: $544
#6. Hardy County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.8%
- Total occupied households: 5,674
- Median household income: $47,438
- Median monthly housing cost: $688
#5. Morgan County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.1%
- Total occupied households: 7,185
- Median household income: $51,745
- Median monthly housing cost: $763
#4. Monongalia County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.2%
- Total occupied households: 39,466
- Median household income: $52,455
- Median monthly housing cost: $817
#3. Jefferson County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.1%
- Total occupied households: 20,891
- Median household income: $80,430
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,265
#2. Berkeley County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.2%
- Total occupied households: 44,221
- Median household income: $62,515
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,049
#1. Cabell County
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.9%
- Total occupied households: 39,064
- Median household income: $40,028
- Median monthly housing cost: $683