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Cost of living, pay and housing

39.46° N · 80.22° W · GEOID 5455276

Monongah

Marion County, West Virginia · part of the Fairmont, WV metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

Limited data population under 5,000

West VirginiaMonongah, WVMonongahMonongah

The short answer

Monongah is home to 837 people. Median household income is $50,875 a year and median rent is $998 a month, 23.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $77,300, about 1.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$998
27% below the median place
Median household income
$50,875
37% below the median place
Median home value
$77,300
76% below the median place
Unemployment
4.8%
2% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Monongah

  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $148 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 97% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • The median home is valued at $77,300, less than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 97% of places its size. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • Households average 1.96 people, smaller than in 95% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • The median resident is 47.2 years old, older than in 86% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 31 West Virginia places.

People are moving in and rent is pulling away from pay. The population grew faster than in 84% of places since 2020, and rent outran income more than in 86% of them.

01

Moving to Monongah

Marion County gains about 3.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,101
Moved out1,947
Net+154

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Monongalia County, WV419347+72
Harrison County, WV328362−34
Taylor County, WV112114−2
Preston County, WV3139−8
Kanawha County, WV39
Lewis County, WV36

Within West Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within West VirginiaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$48K
Leavers$53K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Marion County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Marion County report $47,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $53,400, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$39,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $998 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $850 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $77,300.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 11.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Shively, KY matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
8.7%
52% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$47,855
32% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$53,445
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year18.7%52% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.7%13% below
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure3.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$47,85532% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$53,44524% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median year built is 1938, 2% below the median place.

Monongah23.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$39,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.5%
15% above the median place
Home price to income
1.5x
60% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$39,000
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Monongah, $998 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Monongah.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Monongah? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1938
2% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$850
55% below the median place
Median home value1
$77,300
76% below the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$99827% below
Rent to income123.5%15% above
Property tax rate10.9%1% below
Home price to income11.5x60% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,07134% below
Property tax paid (median)1$69479% below
Median home value1$77,30076% below
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure0.4%87% below
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure33.8%34% below
Homeownership170.5%6% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure43.7%14% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$85055% below
Vacant homes111.6%64% above
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$50,875
37% below the median place
Income per person1
$32,617
19% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$50,87537% below
Income per person1$32,61719% below
Unemployment1County figure4.8%2% below
Average annual pay4County figure$56,96014% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure5.4%46% above
Jobs4County figure17,37488% below
Poverty rate112.1%12% above
Mean commute122 min13% below
Works from home1County figure11.0%12% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 2.0, 22% below the median place.

Household size1
2.0
22% below the median place
Median age1
47.2
21% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
16.0%
50% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband88.3% −4%
No health insurance9.4% +47%
High school or higher90.0% −3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18376646th largest
Population change since 202059.3%above (median 1.1%)
Median age147.221% above
Bachelor's or higher116.0%50% below
High school or higher190.0%3% below
Household size12.022% below
Born abroad1County figure0.8%90% below
No health insurance19.4%47% above
Homes with broadband188.3%4% below
05

Life in Monongah

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.7 −5%
Shops33.1 +9%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.7 +39%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.8 −27%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students9
456
91% below the median place
Public schools9
2
78% below the median place
Students per teacher9
13.4
13% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9278% below
Public school students945691% below
Students per teacher913.413% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure19.75% below
Shops per 10k7County figure33.19% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure5.739% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure14.827% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.30% above
National Register listings8County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 37.8, 58% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Monongah. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk11
37.8
58% below the median place
Tornado risk11
30.9
62% below the median place
Wildfire risk11
30.2
51% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureMonongahAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure84°F4% below
January average low10County figure22°F13% below
Average temperature10County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation10County figure46.2 in5% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure71.523% below
Hurricane risk11County figure58.817% below
Tornado risk11County figure30.962% below
Wildfire risk11County figure30.251% below
Heat wave risk11County figure37.858% below
08

Monongah in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, up from 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$998/mo (2024)$1,280/mo$1,050 to $1,550/mo+4.2%
Median household income$50,875 (2024)$63,500$54,000 to $75,500+3.8%
Median home value$77,300 (2024)$106,000$77,000 to $146,000+5.4%
Population1,055 (2025)1,1101,070 to 1,160+1.1%

The median home would be worth 1.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Monongah

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Shively, KY$899$50,221Compare
Jeannette, PA$863$49,188Compare
Kewanee, IL$797$50,886Compare
East Alton, IL$881$48,815Compare
East Alton, ILKewanee, ILJeannette, PAShively, KYMonongah, WVMonongahShivelyJeannetteKewaneeEast AltonMonongahShivelyJeannetteKewaneeEast Alton

Common questions

Is Monongah a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Owning with a mortgage costs about $148 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 97% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places. The median home is valued at $77,300, less than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places. On cost, space and class size it scores 54 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Monongah expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $77,300.

What salary do you need to live in Monongah?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Monongah?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Shively, KY, Jeannette, PA, Kewanee, IL and East Alton, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  4. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  5. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Monongah with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Monongah itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/monongah-west-virginia

Citytistics. “Monongah, West Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/monongah-west-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.