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City · 18,221 residents · Marion County, West Virginia

Fairmont , West Virginia

In Fairmont, a typical home is worth $163,800 and typical rent is $916 a month. Compared with all of Marion County, typical household income is 6% lower and the share of households that own their home is 14 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $163,800

    About the same as the county

    About the same as West Virginia

    • Fairmont
    • Marion
    • West Virginia

  • Typical rent

    $916a month

    About the same as the county

    5% above West Virginia

    • Fairmont
    • Marion
    • West Virginia

  • Typical household income

    $63,032a year

    6% below the county

    6% above West Virginia

    • Fairmont
    • Marion
    • West Virginia

  • Households that own their home

    63%

    14 points below the county

    12 points below West Virginia

    • Fairmont
    • Marion
    • West Virginia

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$193,465
3% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,170 a month
4.2% more than 12 months ago

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

Fairmont is in Marion 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 Marion County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Fairmont apart

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

  1. Nearby, in Clarksburg, the typical home value is $129,900: 21% less than in Fairmont ($163,800).

  2. 63% of households in Fairmont own their home, against 77% in Marion County.

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

The homes here

Housing in Fairmont

What homes there are in Fairmont, 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 are the majority in Fairmont (72%), but less so than in Marion County (77%).

Year built

In Fairmont, half of the homes were built before 1951; in Marion County, before 1961.

There are fewer big homes in Fairmont than in Marion County: 53% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 60%.

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

At least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Fairmont are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for Marion County ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

About 62% of rented homes in Fairmont cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Marion County ($1,071); the rest cost more.

With a mortgage

$1,181 a month

Marion County: $1,206 a month

Without a mortgage

$472 a month

Marion County: $408 a month

Owners with a mortgage

59%

Marion County: 50%

Owning costs about the same in Fairmont as in Marion County: with a mortgage, $1,181 a month; without one, $472.

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

Since 2015–2019, homes in Fairmont gained value faster than in Marion County: 48% against 43%.

Rents in Fairmont rose at about the same pace as in Marion County: 22% since 2015–2019, against 22%.

The typical household income in Fairmont rose 46% over that time; home values changed +48% and rent +22%.

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

MeasureFairmontMarion CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Rental vacancy 9.7%9.4%6.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.9%1.2%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.2%1.3%3.4%
People per household 2.142.332.372.53
Drive alone 71%75%78%69%
Carpool 10%10%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike 5%3%3%3%
Work from home 12%11%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

In Fairmont, the rental vacancy rate is 9.7%, about the same as in Marion County.

On average, a household in Fairmont has 2.14 people, fewer than in Marion County (2.33).

To get to work, 71% of workers in Fairmont drive alone; in Marion County, 75%.

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 Fairmont?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Fairmont, worth $163,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 25% of the typical household income in Fairmont, which is $63,032 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Fairmont. 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 $5,733 (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

$1,312

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$160,833
Total interest
$231,401
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,766 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,471 a month

    Your payment · 25%

  • Tight

    $1,471 to $1,891 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,891 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Fairmont ($63,032 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,312
Principal & interest$1,090
Property tax$82
Home insurance$68
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$72

You need at least $5,733 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

Fairmont and Marion County

Fairmont is in Marion 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).

Fairmont's own numbers

Typical home value
$163,800
Typical monthly rent
$916
Typical yearly household income
$63,032
Households that own their home
63%
Effective property tax rate
0.6%

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

Numbers for all of Marion County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,071
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+34%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
4.4%

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 Marion County.

Everything about Marion County

Buying

Buying a home in Fairmont

A typical home in Fairmont is worth $163,800: about the same as the county and about the same as West Virginia. With the typical household income in Fairmont ($63,032 a year), a typical home costs 2.6 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.

  • Fairmont 2.6 years
  • Marion 2.5 years
  • West Virginia 2.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Marion County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Marion County rose 57% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County West Virginia U.S.
Last year (2025) +0.4% +4.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +34% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +57% +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

Fairmont next to Marion 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
  • Fairmont $163,800
  • Marion $166,700
  • West Virginia $162,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Fairmont $916
  • Marion $932
  • West Virginia $872
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Fairmont $63,032
  • Marion $67,370
  • West Virginia $59,608
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Fairmont next to Marion County and West Virginia
Measure Fairmont Marion County West Virginia U.S.
Typical home value $163,800 $166,700 $162,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $916 $932 $872 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $63,032 $67,370 $59,608 $80,734
Households that own their home 63% 77% 75% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $987 $978 $865 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.6% 0.59% 0.53% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 45% 44% 49% 51%

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

For a typical $163,800 home in Fairmont, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Fairmont's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,312a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,733
    Cash to close
    $10,647
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $72

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,282a month

    Down payment
    $8,190
    Cash to close
    $13,104
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $78

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,038a month

    Down payment
    $32,760
    Cash to close
    $37,674
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,189a month

    Down payment
    $24,570
    Cash to close
    $29,484
    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 Fairmont and for Marion County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Fairmont

0.6%of the home’s value each year

$987 a year for the typical owner in Fairmont.

  • Fairmont 0.6%
  • Marion 0.59%
  • 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 Marion County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
4.4%
1,132
Of those, with NFIP insurance
10%
County West Virginia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 4.4% 8.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 10% 10% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Fairmont

Typical rent in Fairmont is $916 a month: about the same as the county. In Fairmont, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Marion County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,071 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.60 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Marion 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 $782 $15.04 $31,280
1 bedroom $880 $16.92 $35,200
2 bedrooms $1,071 $20.60 $42,840
3 bedrooms $1,331 $25.60 $53,240
4 bedrooms $1,790 $34.42 $71,600

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 Fairmont

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Fairmont is in ZIP code 26554.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,150: $79 more than the fair market rent for Marion County ($1,071).

  • 26554 $1,150$1,430

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

HUD lists 10 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Fairmont. These are the largest.

  • Scattered Sites 1650 Oregon Ave, Fairmont 26554 136 low-income homes · Run by Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority · Average payment: $371 a month · Average wait: 7 months · Homes at several sites (304) 363-0860
  • Fairmont Arbors 410 Cleveland Ave, Fairmont 26554 120 homes, 119 low-income · For older adults (304) 366-2320
  • Unity Terrace 480 Leonard Avenue Ext, Fairmont 26554 100 low-income homes · Studio: 4 · 1 bd: 20 · 2 bd: 50 · 3 bd: 26 · In service since 2011 · For families (304) 366-3278
  • Marion Unity Apartments 401 Quincy St, Fairmont 26554 98 low-income homes · For older adults (304) 366-2816
  • Miller School 2 Pennsylvania Ave, Fairmont 26554 46 low-income homes · 1 bd: 26 · 2 bd: 20 · In service since 2017 · For older adults

See all 15 buildings in Marion County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Fairmont

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 Marion County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Fairmont

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

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

  • The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority

    103 12th St, Fairmont · 1 miles away

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

  • Homeownership Center, Inc.

    2276 Randolph Ave, Elkins · 38 miles away

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

  • Change, Inc

    3158 West St, Weirton · 68 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (304) 797-7733

Every agency in Marion County All counseling agencies in West Virginia

Help in Spanish near Fairmont

None 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 Fairmont

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

  • Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (304) 363-0860

All housing agencies in West Virginia Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

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

Everything about Marion County Housing in West Virginia

Neighboring counties

If Marion 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 Fairmont.

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

Questions

Housing questions about Fairmont

Short answers with the numbers for Fairmont and all of Marion 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 Fairmont?

The typical home value in Fairmont is $163,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Marion County it is $166,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Fairmont?

Typical rent in Fairmont is $916 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Marion County is $1,071.

What is the FHA loan limit in Fairmont?

Fairmont uses the FHA limit for all of Marion 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 Fairmont?

The typical homeowner in Fairmont pays $987 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.6% of the home’s value; in Marion County, the rate is 0.59%.

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

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