Mercer County, West Virginia property tax
The median homeowner in Mercer County, West Virginia pays $589 a year in property tax on a home worth $118,600, an effective rate of 0.50%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.50%, Mercer County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $118,600, that produces a bill of $589. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #27 of 55 West Virginia counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.54%, and #2,446 nationally. The state runs from 0.68% in Kanawha County down to 0.30% in Summers County.
The median home costs 2.48 times the median household income of $47,799, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 69.74% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 59,062 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Mercer County | West Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.50% | 0.54% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $589 | $835 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $118,600 | $155,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $813 | $850 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $47,799 | $57,917 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.48× | 2.69× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 20.41% | 17.61% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 69.74% | 74.31% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 59,062.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 0.55% | $1,796 | $324,500 |
| Putnam County | 0.58% | $1,235 | $214,200 |
| Marion County | 0.60% | $989 | $164,300 |
| Harrison County | 0.55% | $872 | $158,500 |
| Raleigh County | 0.51% | $733 | $142,600 |
Mercer County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Mercer County, West Virginia?
The effective rate is 0.50% of home value, from a median tax bill of $589 against a median home value of $118,600. That is 0.48 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Mercer County?
Roughly $2,000 a year at the county effective rate of 0.50%.
Is Mercer County expensive compared with the rest of West Virginia?
It ranks #27 of 55 West Virginia counties by effective property tax rate, and #2446 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points below the West Virginia average of 0.54%.
What does housing cost in Mercer County?
The median home is worth $118,600 and median gross rent is $813 a month. Median household income is $47,799, which puts the home at 2.48 times annual income and rent at 20.41% of it.