Cost to Own
United StatesWest VirginiaMonongalia CountyStar City Population 1,894 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Star City, West Virginia

A $257,000 home here costs

$1,992

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,321. The real number is $670 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Star City median: $256,800
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $205,600 borrowed $1,321
Property tax0.476% effective rate for Star City itself $102
Homeowners insuranceWest Virginia averages $1,016/yr (NAIC), or 0.632% of home value $135
Electricity16.8¢/kWh — West Virginia residential average, EIA $151
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $214
Total monthly $1,992

Star City against Monongalia County and West Virginia

MeasureStar CityMonongalia County
Median home value$256,800$254,200
Median property tax$1,223$1,232
Effective tax rate0.476%0.485%
Median gross rent$989$943
Population1,894106,520

The weather behind that power bill

Star City 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 Star City?

A $257,000 home in Star City, West Virginia costs approximately $1,992 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,321 principal and interest, $102 property tax, $135 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $214 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Star City?

Star City has an effective property tax rate of 0.476%, based on a median home value of $256,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,223. That is in line with the Monongalia County average of 0.485%.

What is the average home price in Star City?

The median owner-occupied home value in Star City, West Virginia is $256,800, against $254,200 across Monongalia County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Star City?

Median gross rent in Star City is $989 a month, against $1,992 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 Star City — 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.

Full methodology