The typical owner-occupied home in Appalachia is worth about $67,100, 83% below the Virginia median of $383,700 and 80% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $692 a year in property taxes, about 1.03% of their home's value, higher than the Virginia rate of 0.73%. The median household earns $43,068 a year, so the median home costs 1.6 times the median income (4.1 times for Virginia). 71% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 44% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Appalachia at a glance
| Appalachia | Virginia | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $67,100 | $383,700 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $692 | $2,790 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.03% | 0.73% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $43,068 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 71% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 44% | 67% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,233 | $2,127 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 22.1% | 20.1% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $766 | $1,579 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 28.7% | 29.4% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1964 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 27.9% | 8.7% | 10.1% |
| Population | 1,391 | 8,705,170 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Appalachia
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Appalachia home of $67,100 with 20% down costs about $447 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $558, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $19,143 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 12% of the median Appalachia household income of $43,068; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $151,000.
The median rent here is $766 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $13,420 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $53,680 |
| Principal and interest | $361 |
| Property taxes (1.03% a year) | $58 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $28 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $447 |
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| Down payment | $2,348 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $65,885 |
| Principal and interest | $443 |
| Property taxes (1.03% a year) | $58 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $28 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $30 |
| Total per month | $558 |
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Questions about home buying in Appalachia
What is the median home value in Appalachia?
About $67,100 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Appalachia?
Homeowners pay a median $692 a year, which is about 1.03% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Appalachia?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $447 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $19,143 a year.
More about Appalachia
- Mortgage Refinance in Appalachia
- Debt Relief in Appalachia
- Home Equity Loans in Appalachia
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data