Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Despard, West Virginia
A $82,000 home here costs
$789per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $422. The real number is $368 higher every month — 87% 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.
Despard against Harrison County and West Virginia
| Measure | Despard | Harrison County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $82,100 | $158,500 |
| Median property tax | $447 | $872 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.544% | 0.550% |
| Median gross rent | $596 | $848 |
| Population | 1,038 | 65,407 |
The weather behind that power bill
Despard sits in Harrison County, which averages a high of 85.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.7°F in its coldest, with 48.24" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 892 cooling and 5,291 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Harrison County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Harrison County
Full Harrison County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Despard?
A $82,000 home in Despard, West Virginia costs approximately $789 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $422 principal and interest, $37 property tax, $43 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $68 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Despard?
Despard has an effective property tax rate of 0.544%, based on a median home value of $82,100 and median real estate taxes of $447. That is in line with the Harrison County average of 0.550%.
What is the average home price in Despard?
The median owner-occupied home value in Despard, West Virginia is $82,100, against $158,500 across Harrison County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Despard?
Median gross rent in Despard is $596 a month, against $789 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 Despard — 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.