Living in Rainelle, WV
Greenbrier County
Rainelle is a small Greenbrier County town near the Fayette County border, built around 1910 by the Meadow River Lumber Company, which for decades operated what was said to be the largest hardwood lumber plant in the world before closing in 1975. Rainelle's population has declined substantially -- 1,190 residents at the 2020 Census, down 20.9% from a decade earlier and well below its 1950 peak of 2,408 -- a real, documented, ongoing trend this record discloses honestly. Rainelle's housing runs genuinely affordable at approximately $80,800 median property value, well below West Virginia's own statewide figures. A Rainelle-specific property tax rate was not found this pass; Greenbrier County's own county-level Ownwell figure (0.56%) is used and disclosed as such, itself close to West Virginia's already-low statewide average. Rainelle's economy carries real, substantial, ongoing transition challenges, further set back by the catastrophic June 2016 West Virginia floods, from which some local businesses never reopened.
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Greenbrier County level this session. West Virginia's top state income tax rate is 4.58%. See the West Virginia hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Rainelle-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Genuinely affordable housing well below West Virginia's own statewide figures; a real, disclosed county-level property tax rate close to West Virginia's already-low statewide average; and West Virginia's comparatively moderate income tax with a full Social Security exemption.
Cons
A real, substantial, ongoing population decline (down 20.9% over 2010-2020); a real, documented local flood history from the catastrophic June 2016 floods, from which some businesses never reopened; a confirmed, current named-employer list not found with confidence this pass; and median household income ($35,625) running well below West Virginia's own statewide figure.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits budget-conscious movers prioritizing genuinely low home prices and comfortable with a small, declining, car-dependent former mill town's limited current local job market and real, documented flood history.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers needing a stable or growing local job market, a broad range of local employers, or flood-risk-averse buyers -- Rainelle's real, documented June 2016 flood damage and continuing population decline apply directly.
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