Housing data for Cowen, WV

Cowen, WV has an estimated 485 residents and 233 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a town in Webster County.

43.5% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $675 a month.

Figures last updated on .

Residents
485 (±178)
Housing units
233 (±73)
Households that rent
43.5%
Median gross rent
$675
Residents since 2015–2019
−14.0%

What stands out in Cowen

Households that rent: 43.5% (±15.3 points) in Cowen, higher than in Webster County (22.7%).

Median household income: $27,708 (±$10,438) in Cowen, lower than in Webster County ($43,839).

Median home value: $52,100 (±$16,250) in Cowen, lower than in Webster County ($76,100).

Housing in Cowen at a glance

  • Median rent: $675 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Rent by bedrooms: $825 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Rent burden: 74.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Renters and owners: 43.5% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Income and affordability: $27,708 median household income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Home values: $52,100 median home value
  • Homeowner costs: $1,272 median monthly cost with a mortgage
  • Property taxes: $333 median real estate taxes a year
  • Types of homes: 10.3% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
  • Bedrooms: 55.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
  • Age of homes: 67.4% of homes were built before 1980
  • Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Heating fuel: 53.9% heat with electricity (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Commute and cars: 20.6 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Growth: −14.0% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • How long people stay: 20.9% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
  • Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)

Cowen against Webster County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
CowenWebster CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Residents485 (±178)8,144 (exact)1,778,373 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units233 (±73)4,388 (±17)861,325 (±394)143,775,355
Households that rent43.5% (±15.3 points)22.7% (±5.0 points)25.1% (±0.3 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$675 (±$153)$709 (±$69)$872 (±$8)$1,413
Median household income$27,708 (±$10,438)$43,839 (±$6,400)$59,608 (±$691)$80,734
Median home value$52,100 (±$16,250)$76,100 (±$10,706)$162,600 (±$1,346)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$333 (±$83)$303 (±$30)$865 (±$9)$3,119
Built before 198067.4% (±20.5 points)57.5% (±7.2 points)55.9% (±0.6 points)49.7%
Average commute20.6 minutes (±8.7)29.6 minutes (±3.8)26.6 minutes (±0.3)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband81.7% (±14.8 points)80.6% (±3.9 points)86.1% (±0.3 points)91.0%
Median age of residents36.5 years (±3.8)47.7 years (±1.2)42.7 years (±0.2)38.9 years

Cowen covers 0.6 square miles of land, about 771 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Cowen has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents564 (±136)485 (±178)−14.0%Not a measurable change
Housing units332 (±66)233 (±73)−29.8%Measurable decrease
Median gross rent$474 (±$40)$675 (±$153)+42.4%No measurable change after inflation
Median home value$55,800 (±$16,143)$52,100 (±$16,250)−6.6%No measurable change after inflation
Median household income$28,438 (±$8,191)$27,708 (±$10,438)−2.6%No measurable change after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$843 (±$46)$1,272 (±$288)+50.9%No measurable change after inflation
Median real estate taxes$202 (±$72)$333 (±$83)+64.9%No measurable change after inflation
Households that rent38.5% (±13.2 points)43.5% (±15.3 points)+5.0 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate0.0% (±25.0 points)0.0% (±34.5 points)0.0 percentage pointsNot a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Places near Cowen

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Camden-on-Gauley3.7 mi—$93,50012.8%
Craigsville7.9 mi$611$83,50027.9%
Addison (Webster Springs)9.3 mi$657$89,20040.2%
Richwood13 mi$682$70,00017.2%
Summersville18 mi$395$230,00032.3%
Sutton20 mi$684$87,70042.5%
Gassaway21 mi$463$94,40040.7%
Flatwoods22 mi$728$145,80034.5%

Places in West Virginia most like Cowen

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Oceana$884$66,900$32,87539.9%
Marlinton$722$93,900$37,27340.0%
Elizabeth$552$87,400$22,35349.3%
Wayne$789$82,100$27,15954.5%
Mount Hope$549$101,000$34,37548.5%
Ravenswood$714$97,600$34,24130.5%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across West Virginia.

HUD Fair Market Rent for Cowen, fiscal year 2027

Webster County, WV, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$708$722$944$1,125$1,278

HUD income limits for Cowen, fiscal year 2026

Webster County, WV, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$15,960$26,300$42,100
2 people$21,640$30,050$48,100
3 people$27,320$33,800$54,100
4 people$33,000$37,550$60,100
5 people$38,680$40,600$64,950
6 people$43,600$43,600$69,750
7 people$46,600$46,600$74,550
8 people$49,600$49,600$79,350

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Webster County, WV, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $60,500.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Cowen

What is the average home value in Cowen, WV?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $52,100 (±$16,250) for owner-occupied homes in Cowen (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average mortgage payment in Cowen?

The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Cowen, WV is $1,272 (±$288) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.

How much are property taxes in Cowen?

The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Cowen, WV is $333 (±$83) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes are in Cowen?

Cowen, WV has an estimated 233 (±73) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the most common home size in Cowen?

The most common size is 2 bedrooms, 34.8% of homes in Cowen, WV.

How old are most homes in Cowen?

67.4% of homes in Cowen, WV were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Cowen growing?

In Cowen, the number of residents went from 564 in 2015–2019 to 485 in 2020–2024 (−14.0%), not a measurable change.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Cowen town, West Virginia (place:18412, in state:54).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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