Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fairmont, West Virginia
A $159,000 home here costs
$1,335per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $817. The real number is $517 higher every month — 63% 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.
Fairmont against Marion County and West Virginia
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $159,100 | $164,300 |
| Median property tax | $983 | $989 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.618% | 0.602% |
| Median gross rent | $902 | $901 |
| Population | 18,303 | 56,042 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fairmont sits in Marion County, which averages a high of 83.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.0°F in its coldest, with 47.77" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 897 cooling and 5,017 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Marion County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Marion County
Full Marion County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fairmont?
A $159,000 home in Fairmont, West Virginia costs approximately $1,335 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $817 principal and interest, $82 property tax, $84 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $133 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fairmont?
Fairmont has an effective property tax rate of 0.618%, based on a median home value of $159,100 and median real estate taxes of $983. That is higher than the Marion County average of 0.602%.
What is the average home price in Fairmont?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fairmont, West Virginia is $159,100, against $164,300 across Marion County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fairmont?
Median gross rent in Fairmont is $902 a month, against $1,335 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 Fairmont — 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.