Ferrum: Housing & Real Estate
Ferrum's median home value is $188,900 (estimated market value runs 20% higher at $227,078), with median rent $638 (1.3× below Franklin County median $829; 2.5× below Virginia median $1,579). Homeownership rate: 69.5%. That's 1.3× below the Franklin County median ($240,400); 2.0× below the Virginia median ($383,700). Market is cold. Vacancy rate 22.2%. New construction makes up 2.7% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 4.7× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Virginia 4.1×).
- 24.7 years to break even renting at the median (vs Virginia 19y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.1× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 32% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $188,900 — 0.5× the Virginia median ($382,500). Median rent $638/month. homeownership rate 69.5% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 4.7× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 19.6% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 24.6% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 37.1% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.4% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $771 (vs Virginia $1,492) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $861 (vs Virginia $1,512) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $944 (vs Virginia $1,713) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,313 (vs Virginia $2,376) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,584 (vs Virginia $2,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Franklin County, VA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $227,078 |
| Median Home Value | $188,900 (vs Virginia $382,500) |
| Median Rent | $638 (vs Virginia $1,714) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | cold |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 22.2% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 2.7% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | -6.7% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 7.8% (vs Virginia 49.4%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 549 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.41¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 3654481 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $6,524 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 0.995934959 (at Virginia median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.865853659 (vs Virginia 100.0%) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 1 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 69.5% (vs Virginia 64.4%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1996 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12