West Virginia · GEOID 54019

Fayette County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 39,519 · 19,084 housing units

Median household income

$53,194

State $60,534

Median home value

$105,800

State $168,419

Median gross rent

$788

State $879

Homeownership rate

77.7%

State 74.9%

Renter cost-burden rate

52.7%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

12.6%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.8%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

7.5%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

16.4%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

1.99

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Fayette County	West Virginia
Population	39,519	1,778,373
Population density (per sq. mi.)	59.70	—
Median household income	$53,194	$60,534
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$72,500	—
Households	15,948	—
Average household size	2.40 people	—
Owner-occupied	77.7%	74.9%
Renter-occupied	22.3%	25.1%
Race	91.8% White · 4.2% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Fayette County compared with West Virginia.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

15.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 24.1%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	27.6%	$41,655	$1,041	$124,035
1 earner	31.8%	$60,541	$1,514	$194,335
2 earners	33.3%	$96,316	$2,408	$327,501
3+ earners	7.3%	$109,608	$2,740	$376,979

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

15,948

Average size: 2.40 people

Households with children

3,221

20.2% of households

Per-capita income

$28,113

Poverty rate: 17.4%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

77.7% owner-occupied vs. state average 74.9%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 77.3% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 5.1%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

61.0% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,972.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $105,800.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $788.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 3,136 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 3.0% · For rent 9.3% · Seasonal 18.0% · Other 63.7%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

18.3% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 81.7% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

3.0%

565 units of 19,084 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

10.5%

1,997 units of 19,084 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$42,555

100% MHI$53,194

120% MHI$63,833

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Fayette County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$42,100	$48,100	$60,100
100% AMI	$50,750	$58,000	$72,500
120% AMI	$60,900	$69,600	$87,000

HUD FMR Area: Fayette County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

52.7% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (23.9% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

12.6% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Fayette County.

Covered employment

10,267

Across 21 sectors

Establishments

1,188

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$47,606

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	2,212	$49,248	$152,298	+$46,498	$1,231
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	1,255	$33,409	$93,340	−$12,460	$835
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	990	$21,416	$48,698	−$57,102	$535
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	985	$51,434	$160,435	+$54,635	$1,286
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	947	$45,942	$139,992	+$34,192	$1,149
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	618	$31,581	$86,536	−$19,264	$790
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	430	$49,983	$155,034	+$49,234	$1,250
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	410	$69,916	$229,232	+$123,432	$1,748
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	388	$53,667	$168,747	+$62,947	$1,342
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	352	$44,739	$135,514	+$29,714	$1,118
NAICS 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction NAICS 21	304	$101,627	$347,271	+$241,471	$2,541
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	269	$63,403	$204,988	+$99,188	$1,585
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	264	$69,992	$229,514	+$123,714	$1,750
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	258	$55,332	$174,945	+$69,145	$1,383
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	204	$58,893	$188,200	+$82,400	$1,472
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	122	$85,645	$287,780	+$181,980	$2,141
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	105	$34,781	$98,447	−$7,353	$870
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	81	$69,399	$227,307	+$121,507	$1,735
NAICS 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting NAICS 11	51	$36,509	$104,879	−$921	$913
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	14	$137,650	$481,360	+$375,560	$3,441
NAICS 99 Unclassified NAICS 99	8	$6,908	$0	−$105,800	$173

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	947	$45,942	$139,992	+$34,192	$1,149
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	860	$21,327	$48,367	−$57,433	$533
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	752	$57,931	$184,619	+$78,819	$1,448
NAICS 623 Nursing and residential care facilities NAICS 623	425	$44,925	$136,207	+$30,407	$1,123
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	399	$57,174	$181,802	+$76,002	$1,429
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	391	$30,941	$84,153	−$21,647	$774
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	288	$43,827	$132,119	+$26,319	$1,096
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	269	$63,403	$204,988	+$99,188	$1,585
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	233	$56,860	$180,633	+$74,833	$1,422
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	199	$28,056	$73,414	−$32,386	$701
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	183	$29,378	$78,335	−$27,465	$734
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	177	$56,327	$178,649	+$72,849	$1,408
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	176	$74,826	$247,508	+$141,708	$1,871
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	175	$35,086	$99,582	−$6,218	$877
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	171	$44,530	$134,736	+$28,936	$1,113
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	163	$36,273	$104,001	−$1,799	$907
NAICS 423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods NAICS 423	156	$71,081	$233,568	+$127,768	$1,777
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	153	$32,347	$89,387	−$16,413	$809
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	141	$53,113	$166,685	+$60,885	$1,328
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	134	$63,697	$206,082	+$100,282	$1,592
NAICS 721 Accommodation NAICS 721	129	$22,177	$51,531	−$54,269	$554
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	122	$85,645	$287,780	+$181,980	$2,141
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	121	$52,360	$163,882	+$58,082	$1,309
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	85	$27,434	$71,099	−$34,701	$686
NAICS 524 Insurance carriers and related activities NAICS 524	81	$68,980	$225,747	+$119,947	$1,725
NAICS 531 Real estate NAICS 531	78	$35,692	$101,838	−$3,962	$892
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	77	$50,677	$157,617	+$51,817	$1,267
NAICS 712 Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions NAICS 712	75	$77,413	$257,138	+$151,338	$1,935
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	74	$25,087	$62,363	−$43,437	$627
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	71	$53,498	$168,118	+$62,318	$1,337
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	71	$21,921	$50,578	−$55,222	$548
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	69	$69,575	$227,962	+$122,162	$1,739
NAICS 485 Transit and ground passenger transportation NAICS 485	68	$51,032	$158,939	+$53,139	$1,276
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	64	$46,333	$141,448	+$35,648	$1,158
NAICS 928 National security and international affairs NAICS 928	61	$53,843	$169,402	+$63,602	$1,346
NAICS 488 Support activities for transportation NAICS 488	54	$46,378	$141,615	+$35,815	$1,159
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	40	$56,455	$179,125	+$73,325	$1,411
NAICS 425 Wholesale trade agents and brokers NAICS 425	39	$66,375	$216,051	+$110,251	$1,659
NAICS 449 Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers NAICS 449	28	$29,413	$78,466	−$27,334	$735
NAICS 562 Waste management and remediation services NAICS 562	26	$39,512	$116,058	+$10,258	$988
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	22	$56,313	$178,597	+$72,797	$1,408
NAICS 113 Forestry and logging NAICS 113	17	$44,101	$133,139	+$27,339	$1,103
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	15	$26,636	$68,129	−$37,671	$666
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	14	$137,650	$481,360	+$375,560	$3,441
NAICS 458 Clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers NAICS 458	12	$12,569	$15,767	−$90,033	$314
NAICS 925 Administration of housing programs, urban planning, and community development NAICS 925	9	$34,714	$98,198	−$7,602	$868
NAICS 999 Unclassified NAICS 999	8	$6,908	$0	−$105,800	$173
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	5	$15,769	$27,678	−$78,122	$394

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	1,230	(450)	(27%)	$12.44	$25,880	$65,315	$647
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	470	(1,470)	(76%)	$12.94	$26,910	$69,149	$673
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	1,410	(250)	(15%)	$14.53	$30,210	$81,432	$755
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	610	80	15%	$15.04	$31,270	$85,378	$782
Tellers SOC 43-3071	110	(70)	(39%)	$16.16	$33,610	$94,088	$840
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	600	(1,100)	(65%)	$17.28	$35,940	$102,761	$899
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	590	90	18%	$17.41	$36,210	$103,766	$905
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	650	(130)	(17%)	$17.88	$37,200	$107,452	$930
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	570	50	10%	$19.39	$40,330	$119,102	$1,008
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	320	90	39%	$20.10	$41,800	$124,574	$1,045
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	80	—	—	$21.12	$43,920	$132,466	$1,098
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	250	60	32%	$23.26	$48,380	$149,067	$1,210
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	880	340	63%	$25.17	$52,350	$163,845	$1,309
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	300	—	—	—	$52,940	$166,041	$1,324
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	60	(110)	(65%)	$27.31	$56,800	$180,409	$1,420
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	250	40	19%	$27.50	$57,200	$181,898	$1,430
Electricians SOC 47-2111	380	50	15%	$31.06	$64,600	$209,444	$1,615
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	1,320	120	10%	$40.34	$83,910	$281,322	$2,098

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 54019 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.