Kanawha County, West Virginia property tax
The median homeowner in Kanawha County, West Virginia pays $922 a year in property tax on a home worth $135,000, an effective rate of 0.68%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.68%, Kanawha County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. The bill works out at $922 a year. Low-rate counties usually have another revenue source doing the work, whether that is a state funding formula, sales tax or severance revenue from extraction.
Inside West Virginia it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #1 of 55, against a statewide 0.54%. At the other end of the same state, Summers County charges 0.30%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 2.29 times the median household income of $58,887, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 70.17% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. The county has 178,198 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Kanawha County | West Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.68% | 0.54% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $922 | $835 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $135,000 | $155,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $879 | $850 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $58,887 | $57,917 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.29× | 2.69× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.91% | 17.61% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 70.17% | 74.31% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 178,198.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 0.55% | $1,353 | $248,000 |
| Monongalia County | 0.48% | $1,232 | $254,200 |
| Cabell County | 0.63% | $989 | $156,100 |
| Wood County | 0.61% | $943 | $153,700 |
| Raleigh County | 0.51% | $733 | $142,600 |
Kanawha County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The effective rate is 0.68% of home value, from a median tax bill of $922 against a median home value of $135,000. That is 0.3 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Kanawha County?
Roughly $2,720 a year at the county effective rate of 0.68%.
Is Kanawha County expensive compared with the rest of West Virginia?
It ranks #1 of 55 West Virginia counties by effective property tax rate, and #1837 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.14 points above the West Virginia average of 0.54%.
What does housing cost in Kanawha County?
The median home is worth $135,000 and median gross rent is $879 a month. Median household income is $58,887, which puts the home at 2.29 times annual income and rent at 17.91% of it.