Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Morgantown, West Virginia
A $238,000 home here costs
$1,872per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,224. The real number is $648 higher every month — 53% 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.
Morgantown against Monongalia County and West Virginia
| Measure | Morgantown | Monongalia County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $238,200 | $254,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,267 | $1,232 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.532% | 0.485% |
| Median gross rent | $888 | $943 |
| Population | 30,273 | 106,520 |
The weather behind that power bill
Morgantown sits in Monongalia County, which averages a high of 84.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.0°F in its coldest, with 43.15" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 930 cooling and 4,964 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Monongalia County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Monongalia County
Full Monongalia County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Morgantown?
A $238,000 home in Morgantown, West Virginia costs approximately $1,872 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,224 principal and interest, $106 property tax, $125 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Morgantown?
Morgantown has an effective property tax rate of 0.532%, based on a median home value of $238,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,267. That is higher than the Monongalia County average of 0.485%.
What is the average home price in Morgantown?
The median owner-occupied home value in Morgantown, West Virginia is $238,200, against $254,200 across Monongalia County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Morgantown?
Median gross rent in Morgantown is $888 a month, against $1,872 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 Morgantown — 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.