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City · 7,337 residents · Jefferson County, West Virginia

Charles Town , West Virginia

In Charles Town, a typical home is worth $377,700 and typical rent is $1,115 a month. Compared with all of Jefferson County, typical household income is 10% lower, the typical home value is 8% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 6 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $377,700

    8% above the county

    132% above West Virginia

    • Charles Town
    • Jefferson
    • West Virginia

  • Typical rent

    $1,115a month

    About the same as the county

    28% above West Virginia

    • Charles Town
    • Jefferson
    • West Virginia

  • Typical household income

    $89,263a year

    10% below the county

    50% above West Virginia

    • Charles Town
    • Jefferson
    • West Virginia

  • Households that own their home

    75%

    6 points below the county

    About the same as West Virginia

    • Charles Town
    • Jefferson
    • West Virginia

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$406,960
3.3% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,009 a month
1.8% more than 12 months ago

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

Charles Town is in Jefferson County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Jefferson County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Charles Town apart

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

  1. Charles Town has the highest typical home value of the 31 cities in West Virginia with more than 5,000 people: $377,700.

  2. Nearby, in Elkins, the typical home value is $152,700: 60% less than in Charles Town ($377,700).

  3. Charles Town has the 2nd smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 30 cities in West Virginia with more than 5,000 people (29%).

  4. Nearby, in Elkins, the typical rent is $903: 19% less than in Charles Town ($1,115).

  5. 75% of households in Charles Town own their home, against 80% in Jefferson County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Charles Town

What homes there are in Charles Town, 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 is still the most common home in Charles Town, but it weighs less than in Jefferson County: 69% against 77%.

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 2002 or later; in Jefferson County, from 1991 or later.

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

With a mortgage

$2,093 a month

Jefferson County: $1,811 a month

Without a mortgage

$497 a month

Jefferson County: $488 a month

Owners with a mortgage

78%

Jefferson County: 71%

In Charles Town, 78% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $2,093 a month, against $1,811 in Jefferson County. Without one it drops to $497.

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

The typical home value in Charles Town rose 48% since 2015–2019, more than in Jefferson County (39%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Charles Town rose 20%, more than in Jefferson County (11%).

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

MeasureCharles TownJefferson 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 estimate1.8%1.3%3.4%
People per household 2.592.552.372.53
Drive alone 66%70%78%69%
Carpool 10%9%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate0%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Work from home 21%17%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate30 to 39 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Charles Town has 2.59 people on average, about the same as in Jefferson County (2.55).

Many people here do not commute at all: 21% work from home; in Jefferson County, 17%.

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 Charles Town?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Charles Town, worth $377,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 41% of the typical household income in Charles Town, which is $89,263 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $129,534 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Charles Town. 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 $13,220 (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

$3,022

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$370,858
Total interest
$533,578
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,378 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,083 a month

  • Tight

    $2,083 to $2,678 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,678 a month

    Your payment · 41%

Compared with the typical household income in Charles Town ($89,263 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,022
Principal & interest$2,512
Property tax$186
Home insurance$157
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$167

You need at least $13,220 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

Charles Town and Jefferson County

Charles Town is in Jefferson 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).

Charles Town's own numbers

Typical home value
$377,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,115
Typical yearly household income
$89,263
Households that own their home
75%
Effective property tax rate
0.59%

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

Numbers for all of Jefferson County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,376
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+52%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.4%

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 Jefferson County.

Everything about Jefferson County

Buying

Buying a home in Charles Town

A typical home in Charles Town is worth $377,700: 8% above the county and 132% above West Virginia. With the typical household income in Charles Town ($89,263 a year), a typical home costs 4.2 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.

  • Charles Town 4.2 years
  • Jefferson 3.6 years
  • West Virginia 2.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Jefferson County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Jefferson County rose 80% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County West Virginia U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.0% +4.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +52% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +80% +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

Charles Town next to Jefferson 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
  • Charles Town $377,700
  • Jefferson $350,800
  • West Virginia $162,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Charles Town $1,115
  • Jefferson $1,108
  • West Virginia $872
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Charles Town $89,263
  • Jefferson $98,806
  • West Virginia $59,608
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Charles Town next to Jefferson County and West Virginia
Measure Charles Town Jefferson County West Virginia U.S.
Typical home value $377,700 $350,800 $162,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,115 $1,108 $872 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $89,263 $98,806 $59,608 $80,734
Households that own their home 75% 80% 75% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,213 $1,857 $865 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.59% 0.53% 0.53% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 29% 41% 49% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Jefferson 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 Charles Town

For a typical $377,700 home in Charles Town, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Charles Town's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,022a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $13,220
    Cash to close
    $24,551
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $167

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,953a month

    Down payment
    $18,885
    Cash to close
    $30,216
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $179

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,390a month

    Down payment
    $75,540
    Cash to close
    $86,871
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,739a month

    Down payment
    $56,655
    Cash to close
    $67,986
    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 Charles Town and for Jefferson County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Charles Town

0.59%of the home’s value each year

$2,213 a year for the typical owner in Charles Town.

  • Charles Town 0.59%
  • Jefferson 0.53%
  • 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 Jefferson County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.4%
465
Of those, with NFIP insurance
24%
County West Virginia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.4% 8.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 24% 10% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Charles Town

Typical rent in Charles Town is $1,115 a month: about the same as the county. In Charles Town, 29% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Jefferson County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,376 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $26.46 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Jefferson 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 $1,045 $20.10 $41,800
1 bedroom $1,052 $20.23 $42,080
2 bedrooms $1,376 $26.46 $55,040
3 bedrooms $1,879 $36.13 $75,160
4 bedrooms $2,300 $44.23 $92,000

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 Charles Town

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Charles Town is in ZIP code 25414.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,330: $46 less than the fair market rent for Jefferson County ($1,376).

  • 25414 $1,330$1,820

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Charles Town 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 Charles Town

HUD lists 6 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Charles Town. These are the largest.

  • Charles Towers 151 Augustine Ave, Charles Town 25414 82 homes, 81 low-income · For older adults (304) 725-1228
  • Patrick Henry Apts 236 Patrick Henry Way, Charles Town 25414 50 low-income homes · 1 bd: 50 · In service since 1997
  • Willow Spring Farm Apts V 100 Sycamore Cir, Charles Town 25414 40 low-income homes · 1 bd: 40 · In service since 1994
  • Spring Run Apts 38 Spring Run Ct, Charles Town 25414 38 low-income homes · 1 bd: 6 · 2 bd: 32 · In service since 2000
  • Charles Town LP Vi 19 Hickory Tree Ct, Charles Town 25414 50 homes

See all 13 buildings in Jefferson County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Charles Town

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 Jefferson County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Charles Town

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Charles Town or Jefferson County. The ones below are statewide in West Virginia: they work in Charles Town 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 Charles Town

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

  • Telamon Corporation - Martinsburg Branch

    67 Aikens Ctr, Martinsburg · 16 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 9 more
    (304) 263-0916

  • Homeownership Center, Inc.

    2276 Randolph Ave, Elkins · 107 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 7 more
    (304) 636-9115

  • The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority

    103 12th St, Fairmont · 122 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Home improvement and repairs
    • and 5 more
    (304) 363-0860

All counseling agencies in West Virginia

Help in Spanish near Charles Town

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves 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 Charles Town

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Jefferson County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in West Virginia Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Jefferson County

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

Everything about Jefferson County Housing in West Virginia

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Charles Town, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Jefferson 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 Charles Town.

All guides
Two girls write and draw together at the living-room table.

Questions

Housing questions about Charles Town

Short answers with the numbers for Charles Town and all of Jefferson 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 Charles Town?

The typical home value in Charles Town is $377,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Jefferson County it is $350,800.

How much does it cost to rent in Charles Town?

Typical rent in Charles Town is $1,115 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Jefferson County is $1,376.

What is the FHA loan limit in Charles Town?

Charles Town uses the FHA limit for all of Jefferson County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Charles Town?

The typical homeowner in Charles Town pays $2,213 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.59% of the home’s value; in Jefferson County, the rate is 0.53%.

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

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Jefferson 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).