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City · 26,350 residents · Ohio County, West Virginia

Wheeling , West Virginia

In Wheeling, a typical home is worth $146,500 and typical rent is $794 a month. Compared with all of Ohio County, typical household income is 15% lower, the typical home value is 12% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 7 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $146,500

    12% below the county

    10% below West Virginia

    • Wheeling
    • Ohio
    • West Virginia

  • Typical rent

    $794a month

    3% below the county

    9% below West Virginia

    • Wheeling
    • Ohio
    • West Virginia

  • Typical household income

    $48,590a year

    15% below the county

    18% below West Virginia

    • Wheeling
    • Ohio
    • West Virginia

  • Households that own their home

    60%

    7 points below the county

    15 points below West Virginia

    • Wheeling
    • Ohio
    • West Virginia

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$152,504
4.6% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$817 a month
2.9% more than 12 months ago

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

Wheeling is in Ohio 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 Ohio County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Wheeling apart

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

  1. Nearby, in Moundsville, the typical home value is $118,600: 19% less than in Wheeling ($146,500).

  2. 60% of households in Wheeling own their home, against 66% in Ohio County.

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

The homes here

Housing in Wheeling

What homes there are in Wheeling, 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 Wheeling (62%), but less so than in Ohio County (67%).

Year built

In Wheeling, half of the homes were built before 1949; in Ohio County, before 1956.

In Wheeling, 20% of homes have 1 bedroom or none (studios); 53% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 58% in Ohio County.

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

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 97% of owner-occupied homes in Wheeling sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

About 73% of rented homes in Wheeling cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Ohio County ($1,009).

With a mortgage

$1,146 a month

Ohio County: $1,209 a month

Without a mortgage

$429 a month

Ohio County: $464 a month

Owners with a mortgage

48%

Ohio County: 46%

In Wheeling, 48% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,146 a month, against $1,209 in Ohio County. Without one it drops to $429.

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 Wheeling rose 33% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Ohio County (34%).

Much as in Ohio County, the typical rent in Wheeling rose 21% since 2015–2019.

Housing prices ran ahead of income in Wheeling: typical income rose 10%, against +33% for home values and +21% for rent.

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

MeasureWheelingOhio CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Rental vacancy 6.3%5.8%6.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.2%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.3%3.4%
People per household 2.002.152.372.53
Drive alone 78%79%78%69%
Carpool 7%7%9%9%
Public transit 2%1%1%3%
Walk or bike 5%5%3%3%
Work from home 7%6%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Ohio County, the rental vacancy rate in Wheeling is 6.3%.

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.00 on average, against 2.15 in Ohio County.

In Wheeling, 78% of workers drive alone to work; in Ohio County, 79%.

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 Wheeling?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Wheeling, worth $146,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 29% of the typical household income in Wheeling, which is $48,590 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $50,452 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Wheeling. 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 $5,128 (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

$1,177

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$143,846
Total interest
$206,961
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,474 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,134 a month

  • Tight

    $1,134 to $1,458 a month

    Your payment · 29%

  • Hard

    more than $1,458 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Wheeling ($48,590 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,177
Principal & interest$974
Property tax$77
Home insurance$61
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$65

You need at least $5,128 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

Wheeling and Ohio County

Wheeling is in Ohio 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).

Wheeling's own numbers

Typical home value
$146,500
Typical monthly rent
$794
Typical yearly household income
$48,590
Households that own their home
60%
Effective property tax rate
0.63%

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

Numbers for all of Ohio County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,009
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+31%
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 Ohio County.

Everything about Ohio County

Buying

Buying a home in Wheeling

A typical home in Wheeling is worth $146,500: 12% below the county and 10% below West Virginia. With the typical household income in Wheeling ($48,590 a year), a typical home costs 3.0 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.

  • Wheeling 3.0 years
  • Ohio 2.9 years
  • West Virginia 2.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Ohio County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Ohio County rose 49% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County West Virginia U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.5% +4.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +31% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +49% +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

Wheeling next to Ohio 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
  • Wheeling $146,500
  • Ohio $166,000
  • West Virginia $162,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Wheeling $794
  • Ohio $821
  • West Virginia $872
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Wheeling $48,590
  • Ohio $57,094
  • West Virginia $59,608
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Wheeling next to Ohio County and West Virginia
Measure Wheeling Ohio County West Virginia U.S.
Typical home value $146,500 $166,000 $162,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $794 $821 $872 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $48,590 $57,094 $59,608 $80,734
Households that own their home 60% 66% 75% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $917 $999 $865 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.63% 0.6% 0.53% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 56% 55% 49% 51%

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

For a typical $146,500 home in Wheeling, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Wheeling's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,177a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,128
    Cash to close
    $9,523
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $65

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,150a month

    Down payment
    $7,325
    Cash to close
    $11,720
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $70

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $932a month

    Down payment
    $29,300
    Cash to close
    $33,695
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,067a month

    Down payment
    $21,975
    Cash to close
    $26,370
    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 Wheeling and for Ohio County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Wheeling

0.63%of the home’s value each year

$917 a year for the typical owner in Wheeling.

  • Wheeling 0.63%
  • Ohio 0.6%
  • 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 Ohio County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
13%
1,818
Of those, with NFIP insurance
23%
County West Virginia U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 13% 8.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 23% 10% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Wheeling

Typical rent in Wheeling is $794 a month: 3% below the county. In Wheeling, 56% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Ohio County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,009 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.40 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Ohio 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 $703 $13.52 $28,120
1 bedroom $822 $15.81 $32,880
2 bedrooms $1,009 $19.40 $40,360
3 bedrooms $1,300 $25.00 $52,000
4 bedrooms $1,436 $27.62 $57,440

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 Wheeling

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Wheeling is in ZIP code 26003.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,100: $91 more than the fair market rent for Ohio County ($1,009).

  • 26003 $1,100$1,420

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

HUD lists 31 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Wheeling. These are the largest.

  • G.W. Petroplus Towers 1414 National Rd, Wheeling 26003 161 homes, 160 low-income · For older adults (304) 242-7509
  • Garden Park Terrace 1208 Warwood Ave, Wheeling 26003 178 homes, 154 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling · Average payment: $292 a month · Average wait: 10 months (304) 242-4447
  • Brookpark Place 1290 National Rd, Wheeling 26003 152 low-income homes · Studio: 36 · 1 bd: 116 · In service since 2020 · For older adults (304) 242-5065
  • Booker T Washington Plaza 1030 Chapline St, Wheeling 26003 112 homes, 111 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling · Average payment: $266 a month · Average wait: 8 months (304) 242-4447
  • Luau Manor 2230 Chapline St, Wheeling 26003 105 homes, 104 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling · Average payment: $257 a month · Average wait: 17 months (304) 242-4447

See all 31 buildings in Ohio County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Wheeling

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

A young woman and a young man point to a line in their notes beside a laptop in a library.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Wheeling

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

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

  • Change, Inc

    3158 West St, Weirton · 24 miles away

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

  • The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority

    103 12th St, Fairmont · 51 miles away

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

  • CCCS of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Inc.

    2435 Dudley Avenue, Parkersburg · 71 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (304) 485-3141

All counseling agencies in West Virginia

Help in Spanish near Wheeling

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 Wheeling

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

  • Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (304) 242-4447

All housing agencies in West Virginia Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

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

Everything about Ohio County Housing in West Virginia

Neighboring counties

If Ohio 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 Wheeling.

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

Questions

Housing questions about Wheeling

Short answers with the numbers for Wheeling and all of Ohio 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 Wheeling?

The typical home value in Wheeling is $146,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Ohio County it is $166,000.

How much does it cost to rent in Wheeling?

Typical rent in Wheeling is $794 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Ohio County is $1,009.

What is the FHA loan limit in Wheeling?

Wheeling uses the FHA limit for all of Ohio 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 Wheeling?

The typical homeowner in Wheeling pays $917 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.63% of the home’s value; in Ohio County, the rate is 0.6%.

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

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