Department of Numbers

Parkersburg West Virginia Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Parkersburg, WV (the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro area) was $650 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Parkersburg was $557 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Parkersburg median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Parkersburg rental vacancy rates, Parkersburg rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Parkersburg.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Parkersburg West Virginia (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
West Virginia Median Gross Rent $727 -2.81% +1.82%
Parkersburg, WV Median Gross Rent $650 -12.16% -8.06%

Parkersburg, WV Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Parkersburg peaked in real terms in 2018 at $740 and is now $90 (12.16%) lower. Average gross rent for Parkersburg peaked in real terms in 2016 at $672 and is now $115 (17.11%) lower.

Real Gross Rent in Parkersburg: Parkersburg WV Median, Parkersburg WV Average, West Virginia Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Parkersburg

Date US
Median
West Virginia
Median
Parkersburg, WV
Median
Parkersburg, WV
Average
2019 $1,097 $727 $650 $557
2018 $1,077 $748 $740 $651
2017 $1,043 $711 $737 $645
2016 $1,027 $714 $707 $672
2015 $1,017 $716 $681 $620
2014 $986 $693 $664 $595
2013 $953 $653 $637 $595
2012 $940 $646 $603 $568
2011 $941 $647 $597 $570
2010 $955 $638 $637 $581
2009 $960 $629 $652 $636

more history ...

Parkersburg Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Parkersburg West Virginia was 10.40% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Parkersburg West Virginia

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
West Virginia 7.24% +0.40% -0.68%
Parkersburg, WV 10.40% +3.29% +6.08%

Trends in Parkersburg, WV Rental Vacancy Rate

At 10.40%, Parkersburg residential rental vacancy rate in 2019 is at the highest point since 2005, the beginning of our reporting for this series.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Parkersburg WV, West Virginia, US

Rental vacancy rate in West Virginia

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Parkersburg

Date US West Virginia Parkersburg, WV
2019 5.97% 7.24% 10.40%
2018 6.15% 6.84% 7.11%
2017 6.18% 8.21% 4.55%
2016 5.89% 7.92% 4.32%
2015 5.85% 6.82%
2014 6.32% 8.91%
2013 6.49% 7.75% 2.70%
2012 6.77% 6.82% 8.57%
2011 7.40% 8.13% 8.31%
2010 8.17% 8.96% 8.49%
2009 8.43% 8.76% 9.57%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Parkersburg, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Parkersburg, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 16.02% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Parkersburg West Virginia Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
West Virginia 17.86% -2.14% -1.00%
Parkersburg, WV 16.02% -3.78% -1.36%

Trends in Parkersburg, WV Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Parkersburg household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2018 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.80%. Since then it has fallen by 3.78% to 16.02%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Parkersburg WV, West Virginia, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Parkersburg West Virginia

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Parkersburg West Virginia

Date US West Virginia Parkersburg, WV
2019 20.03% 17.86% 16.02%
2018 20.50% 20.00% 19.80%
2017 20.13% 19.05% 19.66%
2016 20.43% 18.86% 17.38%
2015 20.63% 19.28% 19.00%
2014 20.89% 19.17% 18.06%
2013 20.78% 18.04% 17.73%
2012 20.65% 18.12% 16.05%
2011 20.70% 18.68% 16.88%
2010 20.50% 17.93% 16.95%
2009 20.12% 17.69% 17.43%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Parkersburg West Virginia

You can calculate the renter fraction in Parkersburg in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Parkersburg as a fraction of total Parkersburg households. In 2019 25.12% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Parkersburg Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
West Virginia 26.59% -0.91% -0.97%
Parkersburg, WV 25.12% -1.81% -4.80%

Trends in the Parkersburg, WV Renter Fraction

The Parkersburg household renter fraction peaked in in 2015 at 31.35% and is now 6.23% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Parkersburg WV, West Virginia, US

Fraction of renters in Parkersburg

History of Parkersburg Renter Fraction

Date US West Virginia Parkersburg, WV
2019 35.89% 26.59% 25.12%
2018 36.05% 27.50% 26.93%
2017 36.13% 27.46% 30.10%
2016 36.88% 27.56% 29.92%
2015 36.97% 27.69% 31.35%
2014 36.90% 27.83% 30.05%
2013 36.50% 27.67% 28.36%
2012 36.09% 28.02% 25.84%
2011 35.42% 27.74% 24.59%
2010 34.65% 25.41% 23.26%
2009 34.13% 26.38% 24.33%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.