Appalachia: Housing & Real Estate
Appalachia homes sell at a median $67,100 (estimated market value runs 6% higher at $70,882), with median rent $766 (about the same as Wise County median $790; 2.1× below Virginia median $1,579). Homeownership rate: 70.8%. That's 1.8× below the Wise County median ($118,600); 5.7× below the Virginia median ($383,700). Market is cold. Vacancy rate 22.1%. New construction makes up 1.2% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 1.6× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Virginia 4.1×).
- 7.3 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 16% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $67,100 — 0.2× the Virginia median ($382,500). Median rent $766/month. homeownership rate 70.8% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 1.6× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 18.5% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 47.7% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 28.3% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 1.6% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $692 (vs Virginia $1,492) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $697 (vs Virginia $1,512) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $914 (vs Virginia $1,713) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,205 (vs Virginia $2,376) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,429 (vs Virginia $2,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Wise County-Norton city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $70,882 |
| Median Home Value | $67,100 (vs Virginia $382,500) |
| Median Rent | $766 (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 | 22.1% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 1.2% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 2.4% |
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 (1)
| 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 | 90.1% (vs Virginia 49.4%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 962 |
| 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 | 0.833333333 (vs Virginia 100.0%) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.016666667 (vs Virginia 100.0%) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 16 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 70.8% (vs Virginia 64.4%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1964 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12