West Virginia · 2 counties · 200,170 residents (2025 est.)
FHFA quarterly index through 2026 Q2Annual index 1975–2025Permits through August 2026
Charleston (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession
FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. The line above is FHFA's standard quarterly all-transactions index for the metropolitan area; the comparison table below uses FHFA's annual CBSA index, which FHFA describes as developmental. The index does not give a dollar value for any home.
Charleston, WV is a metropolitan statistical area of 2 counties and about 200,000 residents. FHFA's annual index for it begins in 1975 and has risen +332.2% through 2025.
The standard quarterly index for the area, published through 2026 Q2, is +10.5% on a year earlier and +2.6% on the previous quarter.
Over the ten years to 2025 the annual index rose +39.2% (+3.4% a year), below West Virginia at +54.1% and well below the national +85.0%.
Across its counties, 92 housing units were authorised in the 12 months to August 2026, 0.5 per 1,000 residents, −32.8% on the previous 12 months.
+10.5%year to 2026 Q2, quarterly indexUS +3.0%
+1.4%1 year, 2024–2025US +2.8%
+33.9%5 yearsUS +47.0%
+39.2%10 years+3.4% a year annualised
+73.1%since 2000US +158.3%
92units permitted, 12 months0.5 per 1,000 residents
FHFA annual all-transactions indexes over identical years.
Decade by decade
Decade
Change
United States
1980s (1980–1990)
+13.7%
+68.2%
1990s (1990–2000)
+50.9%
+33.9%
2000s (2000–2010)
+20.5%
+29.7%
2010s (2010–2020)
+7.3%
+35.5%
2020s so far (2020–2025)
+33.9%
+47.0%
FHFA reports each index with a value of 100 in its base period, the first year the area has enough transactions (1975 here). A decade's change is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start, so it does not depend on the base year; the United States column covers the same years. Decades before 1975 are not shown.
Peak-to-low declines
Peak
Low
Decline
Peak regained
1981
1982
−17.8%
1987
Building permits across the area
Housing units authorised in the area's 2 counties (OMB July 2023 delineations), summed from county files.
Housing units authorised in the Charleston, WV area by month, latest 12 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in the Charleston, WV area by month, latest 60 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in the Charleston, WV area by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
Permits, 12 months to August 2026
This area
West Virginia
United States
Housing units authorised
92
3,981
1,418,086
Units per 1,000 residents
0.5
2.3
4.1
Single-family share
100%
88%
63%
Change on previous 12 months
−32.8%
+1.8%
−0.1%
Counties in the area
Ranked by ten-year change in FHFA's county index to 2025; permits are the latest 12 months.
How much have home values in the Charleston, WV area risen over 10 years?
The FHFA annual index rose +39.2% between 2015 and 2025, about +3.4% a year. Over 20 years: +54.7%; since 2000: +73.1%. The quarterly index is +10.5% on a year earlier as of 2026 Q2.
Which counties in the Charleston, WV area rose most?
By ten-year change to 2025: Kanawha County (+39.8%) and Boone County (+28.2%).
What happened to Charleston, WV prices after 2007?
The area index shows no decline of 5% or more from a 2005–2008 peak; nationally the fall was −21.3%.
How many homes are being built in the Charleston, WV area?
92 housing units were authorised across the area's counties in the 12 months to August 2026, 100% of them single-family, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
Where does this data come from?
FHFA's annual CBSA house price index (developmental, updated March 31, 2026) and its standard quarterly metropolitan index; Census Bureau building permits summed over member counties (OMB July 2023 delineations) through August 2026; vintage 2025 population estimates.
Provenance
Index: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for core based statistical areas (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, values 1975–2025; quarterly metropolitan area index (all-transactions) through 2026 Q2. Permits: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey county files through August 2026, summed over member counties from OMB's July 2023 delineations. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates. Public domain. Corrections · FHFA HPI datasets.