Side-by-side comparison of Fairmont, WV and Morgantown, WV — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Fairmont has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 5.56% compared to Morgantown's 5.49%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $160,000 in Fairmont vs $215,000 in Morgantown, while rents come in at $1,000/mo and $1,330/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Fairmont is growing faster at -0.4% annually, while Morgantown is losing population. Fairmont leads on home value appreciation at 1.4% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.58% in Fairmont vs 0.58% in Morgantown. Vacancy rates of 7.5% and 7.5% are both elevated, warranting conservative cash flow projections.
Entry point: Fairmont offers a lower entry at $160K vs Morgantown's $215K — a difference of $55K. With a 20% down payment, that's $32K vs $43K. Fairmont combines the lower price with a higher cap rate — a compelling combination.
Bottom line: Fairmont edges out Morgantown on most key metrics. With a 5.56% cap rate, it offers solid cash flow potential. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Fairmont or Morgantown.