Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bethlehem, West Virginia
A $203,000 home here costs
$1,640per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,044. The real number is $597 higher every month — 57% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bethlehem against Ohio County and West Virginia
| Measure | Bethlehem | Ohio County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $203,000 | $165,300 |
| Median property tax | $1,221 | $970 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.601% | 0.587% |
| Median gross rent | $1,291 | $823 |
| Population | 2,568 | 41,904 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bethlehem sits in Ohio County, which averages a high of 82.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 22.3°F in its coldest, with 37.55" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 782 cooling and 5,419 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Ohio County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Ohio County
Full Ohio County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bethlehem?
A $203,000 home in Bethlehem, West Virginia costs approximately $1,640 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,044 principal and interest, $102 property tax, $107 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $169 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bethlehem?
Bethlehem has an effective property tax rate of 0.601%, based on a median home value of $203,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,221. That is higher than the Ohio County average of 0.587%.
What is the average home price in Bethlehem?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bethlehem, West Virginia is $203,000, against $165,300 across Ohio County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bethlehem?
Median gross rent in Bethlehem is $1,291 a month, against $1,640 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bethlehem — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for West Virginia.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.