States › West Virginia › Bluefield

Is Bluefield, WV expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 19 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$86051% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$53,251about $4,438/month · 39% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$105,40068% lower than U.S. average

Rent here is among the lowest 10% of all U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $34,400 a year. That is $17 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other West Virginia cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of West Virginia. It is number 8 of 31 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bluefield
$860
Bridgeport
$1,000
Cross Lanes
$1,407
Vienna
$784
St. Albans
$852
Cheat Lake
$1,183
Oak Hill
$1,979

How much do households earn in Bluefield?

Under $25k
20.4%
$25k–50k
30.4%
$50k–100k
30.4%
$100k–150k
9.7%
$150k+
4.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 14.5% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Bluefield

SizeBluefieldU.S. average
Studio$544$1,338
1 bedroom$351$1,324
2 bedrooms$835$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,085$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,173$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Bluefield overall?

Everyday prices in West Virginia overall are 11% below the U.S. average (index 89.5, U.S. = 100).

Housing
54
Goods (food, clothes…)
97
Utilities
92
Other services
100
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Bluefield, so the West Virginia figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Bluefield

🏛️ Property tax$632a year · 0.60% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$184a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Bluefield

Commute to work23.7 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree30.8%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home65.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line18.5%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bluefield?

Buying is cheaper month to month: about $129 a month less than renting.

Renting
$860
Owning
$731

Owning assumes a typical $105,400 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $10,540 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Bluefield, WV?

Renting in Bluefield costs a median of about $860 a month in 2026, including utilities. The West Virginia median is $1,007.

How much do I need to make to live in Bluefield?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $34,400 a year, or $17 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Bluefield cheap or expensive?

Bluefield is rated Cheap: rent takes 19.4% of the typical household income of $53,251. It ranks 8th cheapest of 31 West Virginia cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Bluefield?

The median homeowner in Bluefield pays $632 a year in property taxes, about 0.60% of the median home value.

Is Bluefield more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in West Virginia are 11% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Bluefield?

The median home value in Bluefield is $105,400, about 2.0 times the typical yearly household income.

9,387 people live in Bluefield. Numbers are typical (middle) values.