Parkersburg's median home price sits at $155,000, 63% below the $420,000 national median. On a $48,000 median household income, that puts the price-to-income ratio at 3.2x, or 3.2 years of gross pay for the purchase price alone.
Property taxes in Parkersburg run 0.58% of assessed value, below the 1.1% national average. On the median home, that's $899 a year, or $75 added to the monthly payment.
Between the $947/month mortgage payment and West Virginia's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Parkersburg's cost of living index sits at 79 (national average = 100), running below the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Parkersburg's median home price runs 6% lower than nearby Charleston: $165,000 there versus $155,000 here.