Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chester, West Virginia
A $111,000 home here costs
$1,003per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $571. The real number is $432 higher every month — 76% 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.
Chester against Hancock County and West Virginia
| Measure | Chester | Hancock County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $110,600 | $119,600 |
| Median property tax | $741 | $752 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.670% | 0.629% |
| Median gross rent | $686 | $766 |
| Population | 2,302 | 28,658 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chester sits in Hancock County, which averages a high of 83.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.9°F in its coldest, with 41.69" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 804 cooling and 5,556 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hancock County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hancock County
Full Hancock County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chester?
A $111,000 home in Chester, West Virginia costs approximately $1,003 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $571 principal and interest, $62 property tax, $58 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $93 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Chester has an effective property tax rate of 0.670%, based on a median home value of $110,600 and median real estate taxes of $741. That is higher than the Hancock County average of 0.629%.
What is the average home price in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chester, West Virginia is $110,600, against $119,600 across Hancock County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Median gross rent in Chester is $686 a month, against $1,003 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 Chester — 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.