Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Terra Alta, West Virginia
A $96,000 home here costs
$895per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $494. The real number is $401 higher every month — 81% 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.
Terra Alta against Preston County and West Virginia
| Measure | Terra Alta | Preston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $95,900 | $157,700 |
| Median property tax | $620 | $747 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.647% | 0.474% |
| Median gross rent | $744 | $753 |
| Population | 1,992 | 34,204 |
The weather behind that power bill
Terra Alta sits in Preston County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.7°F in its coldest, with 57.01" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 276 cooling and 6,562 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Preston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Preston County
Full Preston County cost breakdown · Every county in West Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Terra Alta?
A $96,000 home in Terra Alta, West Virginia costs approximately $895 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $494 principal and interest, $52 property tax, $51 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $80 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Terra Alta?
Terra Alta has an effective property tax rate of 0.647%, based on a median home value of $95,900 and median real estate taxes of $620. That is higher than the Preston County average of 0.474%.
What is the average home price in Terra Alta?
The median owner-occupied home value in Terra Alta, West Virginia is $95,900, against $157,700 across Preston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Terra Alta?
Median gross rent in Terra Alta is $744 a month, against $895 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 Terra Alta — 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.