Cost of Living in West Virginia
What it costs to live in West Virginia, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 1,769,979
- Median household income
- $60,798
- State income tax
- Up to 4.8%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 89.5
What a typical paycheck keeps in West Virginia
The typical West Virginia worker earns $45,300 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,843 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $45,300
- Federal income tax
- −$3,256
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,465
- State income tax
- −$1,312
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$10,080
- Everyday costs
- −$17,344
a year, or $820 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across West Virginia.
Cost of living in West Virginia
Prices across West Virginia run 11% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing46% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities8% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items11% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $840 | $10,080 |
| Food | $477 | $5,724 |
| Transportation | $377 | $4,524 |
| Healthcare | $352 | $4,224 |
| Utilities | $240 | $2,880 |
| Total before taxes | $2,286 | $27,432 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
West Virginia taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2.2% |
| $10,000 | 3% |
| $25,000 | 3.3% |
| $40,000 | 4.4% |
| $60,000 | 4.8% |
Taxes on the median household income
$60,798 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$5,116 |
| Payroll taxes | −$4,651 |
| State income tax | −$2,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 19.4% |
Cities in West Virginia
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each West Virginia city we cover.
What common jobs keep in West Virginia
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $170,370 | $93,013 |
| Pharmacist | $133,430 | $69,546 |
| Veterinarian | $128,990 | $66,724 |
| Physician assistant | $128,610 | $66,483 |
| Nurse practitioner | $127,320 | $65,663 |
| Software engineer | $121,000 | $61,632 |
| Lawyer | $102,420 | $49,457 |
| Mechanical engineer | $97,390 | $46,161 |
| Physical therapist | $96,600 | $45,643 |
| Occupational therapist | $96,190 | $45,374 |
| Project manager | $91,780 | $42,484 |
| Civil engineer | $86,930 | $39,306 |
| Data scientist | $85,090 | $38,101 |
| Lineman | $83,810 | $37,262 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $80,970 | $35,401 |
Salary pages in West Virginia, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in West Virginia
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $258,020 |
| Chief Executives | $151,950 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $139,820 |
| Pharmacists | $133,430 |
| Physician Assistants | $128,610 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $127,320 |
| Managers, All Other | $124,940 |
| Software Developers | $121,000 |
| Financial Managers | $113,140 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $112,010 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $111,760 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $107,140 |
| Lawyers | $102,420 |
| Management Analysts | $97,470 |
| Physical Therapists | $96,600 |
Living in West Virginia
West Virginia against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | West Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $170,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $883 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 16.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 24.4% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 8.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare West Virginia with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in West Virginia?
Prices in West Virginia are 11% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $840 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,445 a month.
Does West Virginia have a state income tax?
Yes. West Virginia's income tax rate is up to 4.8%. On a typical wage of $45,300, a single filer pays about $1,312 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in West Virginia?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $32,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in West Virginia earns $45,300 and keeps $9,843 after those costs.
Where in West Virginia does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the West Virginia cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Charleston ($9,466 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Huntington ($8,514).
What jobs pay the most in West Virginia?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in West Virginia goes to Physicians, All Other ($258,020); Chief Executives ($151,950); Computer and Information Systems Managers ($139,820) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate