Cost of Living & Housing in Matewan
Matewan's cost of living centers on genuinely affordable housing and a low property tax rate, paired with West Virginia's own moderate, currently-cutting statewide tax profile.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable housing
Matewan's own ZIP code (25678) carried a median list price of approximately $77,500 as of June 2026 -- well below national figures and consistent with West Virginia's own affordable statewide housing picture (base record).
A 0.68% effective property tax rate and a $224 median tax bill
Matewan's own 0.68% effective property tax rate (Ownwell) produces a modest median annual tax bill of $224 -- $2,176 below the national median property tax bill of $2,400 (base record).
West Virginia's 4.58% top income tax rate and full Social Security exemption
West Virginia's real, current 2026 individual income tax tops out at a 4.58% marginal rate on income above $60,000, with a full exemption for Social Security income complete for tax year 2026 (base record).
A real, historic flood-risk cost to weigh
Matewan's real, documented, historically severe Tug River flood exposure -- only substantially mitigated, not eliminated, by a 1997 Army Corps of Engineers floodwall -- may affect homeowners-insurance quotes and typically requires separate flood coverage (base record).
Key takeaways
- Matewan's housing runs genuinely affordable: a ~$77,500 median list price (June 2026, ZIP 25678).
- Matewan's own 0.68% effective property tax rate produces a modest $224 median annual tax bill.
- West Virginia's 4.58% top income tax rate and full Social Security exemption apply in Matewan as they do statewide.
- Real, documented Tug River flood history applies, mitigated but not eliminated by a 1997 floodwall -- confirm current flood-zone status and insurance quotes directly.
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