Department of Numbers

Wheeling West Virginia Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Wheeling, WV (the Wheeling metro area) was $685 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Wheeling was $603 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 Wheeling median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

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

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Wheeling 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%
Wheeling, WV Median Gross Rent $685 +5.06% +4.10%

Wheeling, WV Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Wheeling peaked in real terms in 2014 at $687 and is now $2 (0.29%) lower. Average gross rent for Wheeling peaked in real terms in 2015 at $612 and is now $9 (1.47%) lower.

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

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Wheeling

Date US
Median
West Virginia
Median
Wheeling, WV
Median
Wheeling, WV
Average
2019 $1,097 $727 $685 $603
2018 $1,077 $748 $652 $557
2017 $1,043 $711 $632 $562
2016 $1,027 $714 $658 $609
2015 $1,017 $716 $624 $612
2014 $986 $693 $687 $600
2013 $953 $653 $589 $538
2012 $940 $646 $555 $508
2011 $941 $647 $542 $489
2010 $955 $638 $559 $551
2009 $960 $629 $564 $547

more history ...

Wheeling 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 Wheeling West Virginia was 4.41% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Wheeling West Virginia

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
West Virginia 7.24% +0.40% -0.68%
Wheeling, WV 4.41% -11.66% -4.28%

Trends in Wheeling, WV Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Wheeling peaked in 2017 at 16.32%. Since then it has fallen by 11.91% to 4.41%. Data records for this series originated in 2005.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Wheeling WV, West Virginia, US

Rental vacancy rate in West Virginia

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Wheeling

Date US West Virginia Wheeling, WV
2019 5.97% 7.24% 4.41%
2018 6.15% 6.84% 16.07%
2017 6.18% 8.21% 16.32%
2016 5.89% 7.92% 8.69%
2015 5.85% 6.82% 9.22%
2014 6.32% 8.91% 9.83%
2013 6.49% 7.75% 5.77%
2012 6.77% 6.82% 3.25%
2011 7.40% 8.13% 9.34%
2010 8.17% 8.96% 9.44%
2009 8.43% 8.76% 8.22%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Wheeling, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Wheeling, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 16.30% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Wheeling 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%
Wheeling, WV 16.30% +0.86% -0.78%

Trends in Wheeling, WV Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Wheeling household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2014 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.09%. Since then it has fallen by 2.79% to 16.30%.

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

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

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

Date US West Virginia Wheeling, WV
2019 20.03% 17.86% 16.30%
2018 20.50% 20.00% 15.44%
2017 20.13% 19.05% 14.91%
2016 20.43% 18.86% 17.08%
2015 20.63% 19.28% 14.78%
2014 20.89% 19.17% 19.09%
2013 20.78% 18.04% 16.65%
2012 20.65% 18.12% 15.03%
2011 20.70% 18.68% 15.03%
2010 20.50% 17.93% 15.62%
2009 20.12% 17.69% 15.23%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Wheeling West Virginia

You can calculate the renter fraction in Wheeling 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 Wheeling as a fraction of total Wheeling households. In 2019 25.92% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Wheeling 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%
Wheeling, WV 25.92% +0.61% -2.85%

Trends in the Wheeling, WV Renter Fraction

The Wheeling household renter fraction peaked in in 2012 at 30.76% and is now 4.84% below that level. From a recent low of 20.72% in 2017, the household based renter fraction has now grown by 5.20%. The origin year for the series is 2005.

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

Fraction of renters in Wheeling

History of Wheeling Renter Fraction

Date US West Virginia Wheeling, WV
2019 35.89% 26.59% 25.92%
2018 36.05% 27.50% 25.31%
2017 36.13% 27.46% 20.72%
2016 36.88% 27.56% 28.77%
2015 36.97% 27.69% 25.33%
2014 36.90% 27.83% 28.50%
2013 36.50% 27.67% 26.55%
2012 36.09% 28.02% 30.76%
2011 35.42% 27.74% 26.24%
2010 34.65% 25.41% 24.29%
2009 34.13% 26.38% 27.26%

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.