What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to St. Albans, WV, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
St. Albans is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, with an estimated population of 10,301. It anchors the Charleston metro area. The population has contracted 1.3% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in St. Albans is $151,237 as of 2026-04, down 3.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth (-3.3% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 50 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-3.1% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- Cheap entry point: $151,237 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
- The data is the data: St. Albans has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.
Things to know first
- Net out-migration: population shrinking 1.3% per year — services, schools, and tax base will follow.
- Cooling: -3.1% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
- Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.
More about St. Albans
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.