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City · 9,387 residents · Mercer County, West Virginia

Bluefield , West Virginia

In Bluefield, a typical home is worth $105,400 and typical rent is $804 a month. Compared with all of Mercer County, the typical home value is 13% lower, typical household income is 7% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 8 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $105,400

    13% below the county

    35% below West Virginia

    • Bluefield
    • Mercer
    • West Virginia

  • Typical rent

    $804a month

    About the same as the county

    8% below West Virginia

    • Bluefield
    • Mercer
    • West Virginia

  • Typical household income

    $49,375a year

    7% below the county

    17% below West Virginia

    • Bluefield
    • Mercer
    • West Virginia

  • Households that own their home

    65%

    8 points below the county

    10 points below West Virginia

    • Bluefield
    • Mercer
    • West Virginia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$113,136
2.6% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$786 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Bluefield is in Mercer County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Mercer County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Bluefield apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Bluefield has the lowest typical home value of the 31 cities in West Virginia with more than 5,000 people: $105,400.

  2. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Bluefield fell 2.6%; in West Virginia, it rose 2.6%.

  3. 65% of households in Bluefield own their home, against 73% in Mercer County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Bluefield

What homes there are in Bluefield, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in Bluefield: 77% of homes, more than in Mercer County (67%).

Year built

The typical home in Bluefield was built in 1953, 21 years before the typical one in Mercer County.

There are fewer big homes in Bluefield than in Mercer County: 59% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 64%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

About 59% of rented homes in Bluefield cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Mercer County ($946); the rest cost more.

With a mortgage

$1,167 a month

Mercer County: $1,151 a month

Without a mortgage

$464 a month

Mercer County: $408 a month

Owners with a mortgage

42%

Mercer County: 38%

In Bluefield, 42% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,167 a month, about the same as in Mercer County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in Mercer County, the typical home value in Bluefield rose 25% since 2015–2019.

The typical rent in Bluefield stayed about the same over that time: the difference is within the Census margin of error.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureBluefieldMercer CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate6.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.2%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.3%1.3%3.4%
People per household 2.272.362.372.53
Drive alone 75%82%78%69%
Carpool 10%7%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Work from home 11%7%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Mercer County, a household in Bluefield has 2.27 people on average.

Working from home is more common in Bluefield: 11%, against 7% in Mercer County.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Bluefield?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Bluefield, worth $105,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 21% of the typical household income in Bluefield, which is $49,375 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Mercer County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Bluefield. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $3,689 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$844

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$103,491
Total interest
$148,899
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,780 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,152 a month

    Your payment · 21%

  • Tight

    $1,152 to $1,481 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,481 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Bluefield ($49,375 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$844
Principal & interest$701
Property tax$53
Home insurance$44
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$47

You need at least $3,689 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Bluefield and Mercer County

Bluefield is in Mercer County, West Virginia. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Bluefield's own numbers

Typical home value
$105,400
Typical monthly rent
$804
Typical yearly household income
$49,375
Households that own their home
65%
Effective property tax rate
0.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Mercer County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$946
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+33%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
5.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Mercer County.

Everything about Mercer County

Buying

Buying a home in Bluefield

A typical home in Bluefield is worth $105,400: 13% below the county and 35% below West Virginia. With the typical household income in Bluefield ($49,375 a year), a typical home costs 2.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Bluefield 2.1 years
  • Mercer 2.3 years
  • West Virginia 2.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Mercer County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Mercer County rose 52% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Mercer County.

Period County West Virginia U.S.
Last year (2025) −4.0% +4.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +33% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +52% +54% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Bluefield next to Mercer County, West Virginia and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Bluefield $105,400
  • Mercer $121,700
  • West Virginia $162,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Bluefield $804
  • Mercer $810
  • West Virginia $872
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Bluefield $49,375
  • Mercer $53,210
  • West Virginia $59,608
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Bluefield next to Mercer County and West Virginia
Measure Bluefield Mercer County West Virginia U.S.
Typical home value $105,400 $121,700 $162,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $804 $810 $872 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $49,375 $53,210 $59,608 $80,734
Households that own their home 65% 73% 75% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $632 $656 $865 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.6% 0.54% 0.53% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 35% 51% 49% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Mercer County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Bluefield

For a typical $105,400 home in Bluefield, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Bluefield's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $844a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $3,689
    Cash to close
    $6,851
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $47

  • Conventional, 5% down $825a month

    Down payment
    $5,270
    Cash to close
    $8,432
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $50

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $668a month

    Down payment
    $21,080
    Cash to close
    $24,242
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $765a month

    Down payment
    $15,810
    Cash to close
    $18,972
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Bluefield and for Mercer County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Bluefield

0.6%of the home’s value each year

$632 a year for the typical owner in Bluefield.

  • Bluefield 0.6%
  • Mercer 0.54%
  • West Virginia 0.53%

What West Virginia publishes $20,000 homestead exemption for owners 65 or older or disabled (West Virginia Legislature (West Virginia Code))

Exemptions and deadlines in West Virginia

Flood risk in Mercer County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Mercer County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
5.9%
1,344
Of those, with NFIP insurance
13%
County West Virginia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 5.9% 8.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 13% 10% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Bluefield

Typical rent in Bluefield is $804 a month: about the same as the county. In Bluefield, 35% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Mercer County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($946 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $18.19 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Mercer County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $659 $12.67 $26,360
1 bedroom $746 $14.35 $29,840
2 bedrooms $946 $18.19 $37,840
3 bedrooms $1,250 $24.04 $50,000
4 bedrooms $1,340 $25.77 $53,600

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Bluefield

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Bluefield is in ZIP code 24701.

For 2 bedrooms it is $940: $6 less than the fair market rent for Mercer County ($946).

  • 24701 $940$1,260

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Bluefield when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Bluefield

HUD lists 4 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Bluefield. These are the largest.

  • Tiffany Manor 1600 Hill Ave, Bluefield 24701 165 homes, 163 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Bluefield · Average payment: $314 a month · Average wait: 7 months (304) 325-9653
  • West Virginian Manor 415 Federal St, Bluefield 24701 150 low-income homes · For older adults (304) 325-3619
  • Kennedy Center 525 Bland St, Bluefield 24701 28 low-income homes · Studio: 1 · 1 bd: 7 · 2 bd: 20 · In service since 1999
  • Pauli Heights Apts 230 Pauli Heights Pl, Bluefield 24701 56 homes · 1 bd: 6 · 2 bd: 40 · 3 bd: 10 · In service since 2005 · For families

See all 12 buildings in Mercer County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Bluefield

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Mercer County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man listens closely, seated at a meeting table.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Bluefield

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Bluefield or Mercer County. The ones below are statewide in West Virginia: they work in Bluefield the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in West Virginia

  • Low Down Home Loan

    Statewide in West Virginia

    West Virginia state fund loan of up to $12,000 for the down payment and closing costs, over 15 years at 2% interest, only with the Homeownership Program mortgage. Offered by West Virginia Housing Development Fund (WVHDF).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Bluefield

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Bluefield, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Southern Appalachian Labor School Foundation, Inc.

    140 School Street, Oak Hill · 49 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Home improvement and repairs
    • and 3 more
    (304) 250-7627

  • Housing Authority of Mingo County

    5026 Helena Avenue, Delbarton · 63 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (304) 475-4663

  • Religious Coalition for Community Renewal

    1117 Quarrier St, Charleston · 78 miles away

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • Homebuyer education workshops
    (304) 346-6398

All counseling agencies in West Virginia

Help in Spanish near Bluefield

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Bluefield

HUD’s record names them for Bluefield or Mercer County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the City of Bluefield Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (304) 325-9653

All housing agencies in West Virginia Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Mercer County

These cities are also in Mercer County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Mercer County Housing in West Virginia

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Bluefield, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Mercer County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Bluefield.

All guides
A father smiles as he carries his baby on his shoulders outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about Bluefield

Short answers with the numbers for Bluefield and all of Mercer County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Bluefield?

The typical home value in Bluefield is $105,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Mercer County it is $121,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Bluefield?

Typical rent in Bluefield is $804 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Mercer County is $946.

What is the FHA loan limit in Bluefield?

Bluefield uses the FHA limit for all of Mercer County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Bluefield?

The typical homeowner in Bluefield pays $632 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.6% of the home’s value; in Mercer County, the rate is 0.54%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Bluefield?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Mercer County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).