Cost of Living in Huntington, West Virginia
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Huntington, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 44,815
- Median household income
- $45,100
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 88.4
- Unemployment rate
- 6.8%
Is Huntington a good place to live?
Huntington sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 113 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Huntington keeps $8,514 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living12% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$900 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,281 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $260 of local income tax
Cost of living in Huntington
Prices in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area run 12% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 49% below the US average.
- Housing49% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities12% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items12% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $900 | $10,800 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $350 | $4,200 |
| Utilities | $229 | $2,748 |
| Total before taxes | $2,330 | $27,960 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Huntington | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $893 | $858 |
| 1 bedroom | $900 | $864 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,044 | $1,006 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,335 | $1,287 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,447 | $1,393 |
Living in Huntington
How Huntington compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
| Measure | Huntington | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,100 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $127,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $912 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 46.7% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 25.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35.3% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.7 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9.4% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.5% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Huntington, led by Xfinity, Verizon, AT&T, Frontier. Fiber reaches 59.7% of homes and 72% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Huntington
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $912 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $127,200, against $360,600 nationally.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 12% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.8%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
- Higher poverty rate. 25.7% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $45,100, against $81,604 nationally.
- Local income tax. Residents also pay Huntington city service fee ($5 a week) income tax: $260 on a typical wage.
What your job keeps in Huntington
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $44,600
- Federal income tax
- −$3,172
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,412
- State income tax
- −$1,281
- Local income tax
- −$260
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$10,800
- Everyday costs
- −$17,161
a year, or $710 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $81,010 | $34,630 |
| Accountant | $70,840 | $27,965 |
| Electrician | $63,620 | $22,946 |
| Teacher | $58,532 | $19,089 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $54,540 | $16,060 |
| Social worker | $53,611 | $15,355 |
| Truck driver | $50,050 | $12,651 |
| Medical assistant | $37,500 | $3,074 |
| Auto mechanic | $37,240 | $2,874 |
| Nursing assistant | $37,140 | $2,797 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Huntington on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $14,131
- Civil engineer $43,483
- Data scientist $41,261
- Dental assistant $7,042
- Dental hygienist $29,690
- Dentist $90,844
- Diesel mechanic $13,471
- Financial analyst $29,427
- Firefighter $1,965
- HVAC technician $11,748
- Lawyer $45,810
- Lineman $33,844
- Mechanical engineer $44,354
- Nurse practitioner $63,888
- Occupational therapist $46,372
- Paralegal $14,040
- Paramedic $7,869
- Pharmacist $69,345
- Pharmacy technician $4,021
- Physical therapist $45,908
- Physician assistant $63,831
- Plumber $21,844
- Police officer $17,266
- Project manager $33,699
- Radiologic technologist $33,372
- Respiratory therapist $24,774
- Software engineer $54,137
- Speech-language pathologist $46,222
- Veterinarian $54,544
- Welder $10,320
Local income tax: A flat fee on everyone who works in the city, modelled as $260 a year.
Compare Huntington with other cities
Compare Huntington with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Huntington
2 licensed interstate movers are based in Huntington, and 3 more elsewhere in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Huntington, WV a good place to live?
Huntington sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 113 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $44,600 and keeps $8,514 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Huntington?
Prices in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area are 12% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $900 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,430 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Huntington?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $33,600 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area earns $44,600.
What is the average rent in Huntington?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $893 for a studio, $900 for a 1-bedroom and $1,044 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Huntington at $912 a month (2024).
Does Huntington have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $44,600, West Virginia state income tax comes to about $1,281 a year. Huntington residents also pay Huntington city service fee ($5 a week) income tax, about $260 on the same wage.
What internet providers serve Huntington?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Huntington, led by Xfinity, Verizon, AT&T, Frontier. 59.7% of homes can get fiber and 72% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
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, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area 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 MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate