Bluefield, WV — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·West Virginia·Bluefield

Mercer County · Bluefield · population 9,157

AffordabilityShrinkingSmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
38
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Bluefield stands

Home values down 10.5% in the last year. population shrinking 1.3% per year.

Median home $112,232
1-year -10.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.5%
vs 5-yr peak -11.2%
Population -1.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-01$112k$60k$84k$108k$131k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
32/100
Poor remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
5 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
41 · w18%
Population growth
25 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
62 · w10%
Long thesis

Bluefield offers a $112,232 median home with +5.5% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Bluefield is down 10.5% over the last 12 months and the trend isn't flattening. Falling knife rule applies: you don't catch one with your hands, you wait for it to hit the floor and stop moving.

About Bluefield

Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, with an estimated population of 9,157. The population has contracted 1.3% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Bluefield is $112,232 as of 2026-04, down 10.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.5% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 11% below its 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 38 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Cheap entry point: $112,232 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

▼ Bear case

●Prices actively falling: down 10.5% in the last 12 months — buyer sentiment has flipped. Sellers competing on price.
●Net out-migration: population shrinking 1.3% per year — services, schools, and tax base will follow.
●11% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Mercer County right now.

NWS active alerts (WV)West Virginia Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Mercer County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Bluefield

Oak Hill, WV43 · CoolingDunbar, WV44 · CoolingSt. Albans, WV50 · StableClarksburg, WV45 · Cooling

Run the numbers for Bluefield

ToolCan I afford Bluefield?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Bluefield rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Bluefield to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBluefield cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
41° / 23°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
44″ rain
32″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Bluefield listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Bluefield area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$55,200
West Virginia state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareMining/CoalManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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