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West Virginia market guide
DSCR loans in Morgantown, WV
Rental financing for Morgantown investors, qualified on the property's rent.
Investors buying in Morgantown, WV are measured on the rent the property earns. Locally, median gross rent is $937 and median real estate taxes are $1,301 a year, which together set how much loan a rent can carry.
Local data for Morgantown investors
Citywide, Morgantown renters pay a median $937 in gross rent (rent plus utilities), close to the West Virginia median of $872, and owner-occupied homes have a median value of $259,400, well above the West Virginia median of $162,600. By the simple measure of annual rent over home value, Morgantown sits at 4.3%, on the low side, so the payment, not the rent, usually decides whether a file clears. Lenders do not underwrite a ratio like that, but investors use it to decide where to look first.
| Indicator | West Virginia | Morgantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons per household | 2.37 | 2.08 | |
| Share of homes detached | 70.9% | 46.4% | -35% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 17.5% | 6.3% | -64% |
| Degree holders, age 25+ | 24.1% | 58.5% | +142% |
| Workers on their own account | 6.8% | 4.5% | -34% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 48.9% | 63.8% | +31% |
| Units sitting vacant | 15.4% | 13.9% | -10% |
| Typical construction year | 1976 | 1966 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 6.4% | 4.3% | -33% |
| Households that rent | 25.1% | 56.3% | +124% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 0.53% | 0.50% | -6% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $865 | $1,301 | +50% |
| Household income, median | $59,608 | $44,727 | -25% |
| Typical monthly rent | $872 | $937 | +7% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 1,778,373 | 30,236 |
A renter-heavy city, Morgantown has 56.3% of households renting (well above the West Virginia median of 25%), which is good for demand and a reminder to check rent comparables carefully. Median household income of $44,727 (about 25% below the West Virginia median of $59,608) sets the ceiling for rent growth, and 64% of renters already spend 30 percent or more of income on rent.
Homes, buildings and vacancies in Morgantown
Only 46% of units in Morgantown are detached houses. The rest is townhomes, duplexes and apartments, with two to four unit buildings at 21% of the total. The median structure went up in 1966, so request ages for the roof, HVAC and water heater on any rental you consider.
Vacancy is a quiet driver of rent. 14% of homes are vacant citywide and 9.0% of the rental inventory was listed for rent when the Census surveyed.
Underwriting angles in Morgantown
With only 4.3% gross yield, Morgantown buyers often rely on appreciation as part of the plan, and a lender will want the ratio to clear without it. A median build year of 1966 suggests moderate repair budgets with the usual replacement cycles. Because 56% of households rent, vacancies tend to refill, and the pricing question is how much to charge relative to nearby units.
Carrying costs in Morgantown
In Morgantown the median tax bill for an owner-occupied home is $1,301, or about 0.50% of value (West Virginia overall: 0.53%). That bill is well above the West Virginia median of $865. Set beside the median rent, the tax alone consumes about 12% of annual rent.
FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates Monongalia County as relatively low overall for natural hazard risk, with landslides (relatively moderate), riverine flooding (relatively moderate) and lightning (relatively moderate) among its leading hazards.
| Hazard in Monongalia County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Strong wind exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Lightning exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Riverine flooding exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Landslides exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Social vulnerability score | Very Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Low |
| Composite risk | Relatively Low |
Standard landlord policies usually exclude flood, and coastal ones can add a separate wind deductible, so ask the agent for Morgantown exclusions before trusting a premium estimate.
Rent math for Morgantown buyers
Try the math at the medians. With rent at $937 and taxes near $108 a month, a 1.00 DSCR leaves $829 for everything else in the payment, a 1.20 ratio leaves $672, and a 1.25 ratio leaves $641. Any real property will differ, but the exercise shows how little room insurance and dues can take.
Legal checks before a Morgantown purchase
Before you underwrite a Morgantown rental, confirm with city hall and Monongalia County whether landlords must register, pass an inspection or hold a permit, especially for stays under 30 days, because those rules can change what income a lender will count. Guests who book by the night in Morgantown are taxed under state law as follows. West Virginia taxes lodging rentals of 30 consecutive days or less, so owners register with the State Tax Department and collect state and municipal sales tax, while county or municipal hotel occupancy taxes are separate and locally administered.
A Morgantown landlord must handle the deposit within 60 days after move-out under West Virginia law.
Morgantown next to nearby cities
Among the nearby markets above, Clarksburg has the lowest median home value at $129,900 and Bridgeport the highest at $291,600, against $259,400 in Morgantown.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | 40% | $917 | $146,500 | 26,350 | $794 |
| Clarksburg | 39% | $783 | $129,900 | 15,549 | $790 |
| Bridgeport | 25% | $1,759 | $291,600 | 9,252 | $1,105 |
| Fairmont | 37% | $987 | $163,800 | 18,221 | $916 |
| Morgantown | 56% | $1,301 | $259,400 | 30,236 | $937 |
Employers and institutions near Morgantown rentals
Self-employed workers, incorporated or not, make up 4.5% of employed residents, a group that often has irregular tax-return income and a natural fit with rent-based qualification. Looking at who fills the rentals, government workers are about 26% of employment, 58% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 6% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Higher education in and around Morgantown includes West Virginia University, which feeds demand for student, staff and faculty housing near campus. Transportation links include air service through Morgantown Municipal Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport. Easy highway and air access helps both tenant commutes and remote ownership.
Moving from numbers to a Morgantown loan
Gather the lease or rent estimate, the tax estimate and an insurance quote for the Morgantown address, check them in the calculator, and begin your application or get a quote first.
More West Virginia markets
- All West Virginia DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Fairmont, WV
- DSCR loans in Bridgeport, WV
- DSCR loans in Clarksburg, WV
- DSCR loans in Wheeling, WV
- Every market we cover
Where we checked
- West Virginia landlord deposit rules, W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2, 37-6A-3, 37-6A-5
- West Virginia tax source: West Virginia State Tax Department, TSD 316
- ACS 2020 to 2024 estimates for Morgantown
- FEMA hazard ratings for Monongalia County
- Morgantown on Wikipedia
All Morgantown statistics are ACS five-year survey estimates from 2020 to 2024. For West Virginia tenant law we used RedFlagLease under CC BY 4.0 plus the linked statutes. Our check date is October 2026, so look for newer Morgantown rules before you commit.
Before you make an offer
On a Morgantown purchase, line up the lease, the tax estimate, the insurance quote and any association dues before the appraisal is ordered, and ask the appraiser's office what rent comparables they plan to use.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
Lease or market rent: what counts in Morgantown?
A signed lease or the appraiser's rent schedule supplies the rent, depending on the program, and $937 is the Census median for Morgantown renters, only a benchmark.
Do taxes and insurance count in the Morgantown DSCR ratio?
They count in full. A 1.25 ratio on $937 of rent permits a payment near $750, and median Morgantown taxes take about $108 of it each month.
What tax bill should I expect on a Morgantown rental?
The Census reports a median of $1,301 a year for Morgantown owners, about 0.50% of median value against 0.53% for West Virginia. The county reassesses after a sale, so ask the tax office for an estimate on your purchase price.
Can nightly stays at a Morgantown property support a DSCR file?
Where lender guidelines allow it, yes, with platform history or a market projection. First confirm that Morgantown and any HOA permit stays under 30 days, and that you can register for West Virginia lodging tax.
What does West Virginia law say about deposits at a Morgantown rental?
A landlord has 60 days to return the deposit. Both come from W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2, 37-6A-3, 37-6A-5.
Should I worry about hazards at a Morgantown property?
The National Risk Index gives the county an overall relatively low rating. Use that as a prompt to get quotes, not as a verdict on one Morgantown street.
Should a Morgantown rental be bought in an LLC?
Many Morgantown investors do, though no rule forces it. The loan is secured by the property either way, and the lender will check who controls the company.