Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Buffalo, West Virginia
A $124,000 home here costs
$1,096per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $637. The real number is $458 higher every month — 72% 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.
Buffalo against Putnam County and West Virginia
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $124,100 | $214,200 |
| Median property tax | $847 | $1,235 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.683% | 0.577% |
| Median gross rent | $720 | $975 |
| Population | 1,110 | 57,250 |
The weather behind that power bill
Buffalo sits in Putnam County, which averages a high of 87.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.0°F in its coldest, with 39.48" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,154 cooling and 4,568 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Putnam County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Putnam County
Full Putnam County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Buffalo?
A $124,000 home in Buffalo, West Virginia costs approximately $1,096 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $637 principal and interest, $71 property tax, $65 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $103 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Buffalo?
Buffalo has an effective property tax rate of 0.683%, based on a median home value of $124,100 and median real estate taxes of $847. That is higher than the Putnam County average of 0.577%.
What is the average home price in Buffalo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Buffalo, West Virginia is $124,100, against $214,200 across Putnam County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Buffalo?
Median gross rent in Buffalo is $720 a month, against $1,096 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 Buffalo — 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.