Side-by-side comparison of Morgantown, WV and Parkersburg, WV — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Morgantown has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 5.49% compared to Parkersburg's 4.81%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $215,000 in Morgantown vs $165,000 in Parkersburg, while rents come in at $1,330/mo and $920/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Morgantown is growing faster at -0.4% annually, while Parkersburg is losing population. Morgantown leads on home value appreciation at 1.4% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.58% in Morgantown vs 0.58% in Parkersburg. Vacancy rates of 7.5% and 7.5% are both elevated, warranting conservative cash flow projections.
Entry point: Parkersburg offers a lower entry at $165K vs Morgantown's $215K — a difference of $50K. With a 20% down payment, that's $33K vs $43K. Morgantown's higher price may be justified by better market fundamentals.
Bottom line: Morgantown edges out Parkersburg on most key metrics. With a 5.49% cap rate, it offers solid cash flow potential. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Morgantown or Parkersburg.