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City · 7,254 residents · Kanawha County, West Virginia

Dunbar , West Virginia

In Dunbar, a typical home is worth $119,600 and typical rent is $935 a month. Compared with all of Kanawha County, the typical home value is 19% lower and the share of households that own their home is 9 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $119,600

    19% below the county

    26% below West Virginia

    • Dunbar
    • Kanawha
    • West Virginia

  • Typical rent

    $935a month

    3% above the county

    7% above West Virginia

    • Dunbar
    • Kanawha
    • West Virginia

  • Typical household income

    $58,379a year

    4% below the county

    2% below West Virginia

    • Dunbar
    • Kanawha
    • West Virginia

  • Households that own their home

    62%

    9 points below the county

    13 points below West Virginia

    • Dunbar
    • Kanawha
    • West Virginia

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$120,769
5.7% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,100 a month

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

Dunbar is in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Dunbar apart

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

  1. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Dunbar fell 5.7%; in West Virginia, it rose 2.6%.

  2. The typical home in Dunbar is worth $119,600, 19% less than in Kanawha County as a whole ($147,300).

  3. 62% of households in Dunbar own their home, against 71% in Kanawha County.

  4. 14% of households in Dunbar have no internet at home (8% in Kanawha County).

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

The homes here

Housing in Dunbar

What homes there are in Dunbar, 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

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 76% of homes here, against 70% in Kanawha County.

Year built

Homes in Dunbar are older: the typical year built is 1955; in Kanawha County, 1966.

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

$1,121 a month

Kanawha County: $1,216 a month

Without a mortgage

$418 a month

Kanawha County: $447 a month

Owners with a mortgage

47%

Kanawha County: 48%

In Dunbar, 47% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,121 a month, against $1,216 in Kanawha County. Without one it drops to $418.

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 Dunbar rose 22% since 2015–2019, less than in Kanawha County (31%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Dunbar did not change clearly, according to the Census.

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

MeasureDunbarKanawha CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate9.1%6.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.7%1.2%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate0.9%1.3%3.4%
People per household 1.922.272.372.53
Drive alone 80%77%78%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate8%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate10%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Dunbar are smaller: 1.92 people on average; in Kanawha County, 2.27.

The car rules in Dunbar: 80% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 10 to 19 minutes.

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 Dunbar?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Dunbar, worth $119,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 20% of the typical household income in Dunbar, which is $58,379 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Dunbar. 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 $4,186 (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

$971

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$117,434
Total interest
$168,960
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,020 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,362 a month

    Your payment · 20%

  • Tight

    $1,362 to $1,751 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,751 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Dunbar ($58,379 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$971
Principal & interest$796
Property tax$73
Home insurance$50
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$53

You need at least $4,186 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

Dunbar and Kanawha County

Dunbar is in Kanawha 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).

Dunbar's own numbers

Typical home value
$119,600
Typical monthly rent
$935
Typical yearly household income
$58,379
Households that own their home
62%
Effective property tax rate
0.73%

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

Numbers for all of Kanawha County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,048
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+34%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
13%

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 Kanawha County.

Everything about Kanawha County

Buying

Buying a home in Dunbar

A typical home in Dunbar is worth $119,600: 19% below the county and 26% below West Virginia. With the typical household income in Dunbar ($58,379 a year), a typical home costs 2.0 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.

  • Dunbar 2.0 years
  • Kanawha 2.4 years
  • West Virginia 2.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Kanawha County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Kanawha County rose 40% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County West Virginia U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.8% +4.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +34% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +40% +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

Dunbar next to Kanawha 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
  • Dunbar $119,600
  • Kanawha $147,300
  • West Virginia $162,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Dunbar $935
  • Kanawha $906
  • West Virginia $872
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Dunbar $58,379
  • Kanawha $60,943
  • West Virginia $59,608
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Dunbar next to Kanawha County and West Virginia
Measure Dunbar Kanawha County West Virginia U.S.
Typical home value $119,600 $147,300 $162,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $935 $906 $872 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $58,379 $60,943 $59,608 $80,734
Households that own their home 62% 71% 75% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $878 $964 $865 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.73% 0.65% 0.53% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 45% 47% 49% 51%

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

For a typical $119,600 home in Dunbar, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Dunbar's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $971a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $4,186
    Cash to close
    $7,774
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $53

  • Conventional, 5% down $949a month

    Down payment
    $5,980
    Cash to close
    $9,568
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $57

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $771a month

    Down payment
    $23,920
    Cash to close
    $27,508
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $881a month

    Down payment
    $17,940
    Cash to close
    $21,528
    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 Dunbar and for Kanawha County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Dunbar

0.73%of the home’s value each year

$878 a year for the typical owner in Dunbar.

  • Dunbar 0.73%
  • Kanawha 0.65%
  • 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 Kanawha County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
13%
10,173
Of those, with NFIP insurance
9.8%
County West Virginia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 13% 8.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 9.8% 10% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Dunbar

Typical rent in Dunbar is $935 a month: 3% above the county. In Dunbar, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Kanawha County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,048 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.15 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Kanawha 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 $730 $14.04 $29,200
1 bedroom $844 $16.23 $33,760
2 bedrooms $1,048 $20.15 $41,920
3 bedrooms $1,324 $25.46 $52,960
4 bedrooms $1,377 $26.48 $55,080

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 Dunbar

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Dunbar is in ZIP code 25064.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,070: $22 more than the fair market rent for Kanawha County ($1,048).

  • 25064 $1,070$1,350

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

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

  • Dunbar Towers 1000 Myers Ave, Dunbar 25064 102 low-income homes · For older adults (304) 768-4554
  • Myers Ave-Dutch Hollow A 1225 Myers Ave, Dunbar 25064 101 low-income homes · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Dunbar · Average payment: $454 a month · Average wait: 8 months (304) 768-8006
  • Harris/Anderson Apts 110 Smoot Ave, Dunbar 25064 93 low-income homes · Run by Charleston/Kanawha Housing Authority · Average payment: $310 a month · Average wait: 16 months · Homes at several sites (304) 348-6451
  • Elle Bella Villa 100 Everette Ln, Dunbar 25064 50 homes · 1 bd: 25 · 2 bd: 25 · In service since 2008

See all 78 buildings in Kanawha County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Dunbar

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.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Kanawha County; none says it serves in Spanish.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Dunbar

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

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

  • Religious Coalition for Community Renewal

    1117 Quarrier St, Charleston · 6 miles away

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

  • Southern Appalachian Labor School Foundation, Inc.

    140 School Street, Oak Hill · 42 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 · 52 miles away · Spanish

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

Every agency in Kanawha County All counseling agencies in West Virginia

Help in Spanish near Dunbar

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 Dunbar

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

  • Housing Authority of the City of Dunbar Public housing (304) 768-8006

3 other authorities have an office in Kanawha County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Kanawha County

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

Everything about Kanawha County Housing in West Virginia

Nearby cities

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

Neighboring counties

If Kanawha 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 Dunbar.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about Dunbar

Short answers with the numbers for Dunbar and all of Kanawha 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 Dunbar?

The typical home value in Dunbar is $119,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Kanawha County it is $147,300.

How much does it cost to rent in Dunbar?

Typical rent in Dunbar is $935 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Kanawha County is $1,048.

What is the FHA loan limit in Dunbar?

Dunbar uses the FHA limit for all of Kanawha 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 Dunbar?

The typical homeowner in Dunbar pays $878 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.73% of the home’s value; in Kanawha County, the rate is 0.65%.

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

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Kanawha County. 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).