The typical owner-occupied home in Reader is worth about $85,300, 48% below the West Virginia median of $162,600 and 74% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $522 a year in property taxes, about 0.61% of their home's value, higher than the West Virginia rate of 0.53%. The median household earns $63,942 a year, so the median home costs 1.3 times the median income (2.7 times for West Virginia). 80% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 57% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Reader at a glance
| Reader | West Virginia | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $85,300 | $162,600 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $522 | $865 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.61% | 0.53% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $63,942 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 80% | 75% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 57% | 46% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | – | $1,255 | $1,963 |
| Median rent | – | $872 | $1,413 |
| Median year homes were built | 1965 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 0.0% | 15.4% | 10.1% |
| Population | 193 | 1,778,373 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Reader
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Reader home of $85,300 with 20% down costs about $538 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $680, 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 $23,055 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 10% of the median Reader household income of $63,942; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $237,000.
| Down payment | $17,060 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $68,240 |
| Principal and interest | $459 |
| Property taxes (0.61% a year) | $43 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $36 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $538 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $2,986 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $83,755 |
| Principal and interest | $563 |
| Property taxes (0.61% a year) | $43 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $36 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $38 |
| Total per month | $680 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Reader
What is the median home value in Reader?
About $85,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Reader?
Homeowners pay a median $522 a year, which is about 0.61% 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 Reader?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $538 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $23,055 a year.
More about Reader
- Mortgage Refinance in Reader
- Debt Relief in Reader
- Home Equity Loans in Reader
- 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