Housing data for Lester, WV
Lester, WV has an estimated 377 residents and 176 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Raleigh County.
25.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $850 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 377 (±194)
- Housing units
- 176 (±73)
- Households that rent
- 25.7%
- Median gross rent
- $850
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −17.0%
What stands out in Lester
Households without a vehicle: 1.3% (±2.0 points) in Lester, lower than in Raleigh County (8.9%).
Median home value: $89,400 (±$55,265) in Lester, lower than in Raleigh County ($150,900).
Housing in Lester at a glance
- Median rent: $850 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent by bedrooms: $646 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 83.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 25.7% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $89,400 median home value (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Homeowner costs: $950 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Bedrooms: 63.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 44.8% of homes were built before 1980 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Vacancy rate: 9.3% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 51.3% heat with utility gas (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Commute and cars: 54.4 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Growth: −17.0% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 16.4% 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)
Lester against Raleigh County, its state and the nation
| Lester | Raleigh County | West Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 377 (±194) | 73,195 (exact) | 1,778,373 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 176 (±73) | 34,604 (±36) | 861,325 (±394) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 25.7% (±19.7 points) | 24.7% (±2.0 points) | 25.1% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $850 (±$325) | $902 (±$44) | $872 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | — | $52,150 (±$3,933) | $59,608 (±$691) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $89,400 (±$55,265) | $150,900 (±$8,969) | $162,600 (±$1,346) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $754 (±$41) | $865 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 44.8% (±22.8 points) | 56.7% (±3.3 points) | 55.9% (±0.6 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 54.4 minutes (±32.0) | 23.6 minutes (±1.4) | 26.6 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 65.8% (±22.4 points) | 76.3% (±2.4 points) | 86.1% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 56.0 years (±19.9) | 42.9 years (±0.3) | 42.7 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Lester covers 0.5 square miles of land, about 752 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Lester has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 454 (±176) | 377 (±194) | −17.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 194 (±50) | 176 (±73) | −9.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $861 (±$42) | $850 (±$325) | −1.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $73,400 (±$12,684) | $89,400 (±$55,265) | +21.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $894 (±$155) | $950 (±$425) | +6.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 20.1% (±15.5 points) | 25.7% (±19.7 points) | +5.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.1% (±15.4 points) | 9.3% (±14.9 points) | −1.8 percentage points | Not 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.
Crime reported to police in Raleigh County
Lester has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Raleigh County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Raleigh County recorded 272 violent and 2,324 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Lester
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia | 3.2 mi | $870 | $116,900 | 41.9% |
| Crab Orchard | 4.0 mi | — | $168,200 | 12.6% |
| Mabscott | 5.5 mi | $980 | $159,700 | 29.7% |
| MacArthur | 5.6 mi | — | $160,800 | 15.9% |
| Beckley | 8.2 mi | $869 | $158,000 | 44.6% |
| Prosperity | 9.3 mi | — | $141,200 | 8.1% |
| Daniels | 9.5 mi | — | $171,300 | 7.3% |
| Stanaford | 10 mi | $982 | $162,800 | 25.6% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Lester, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $755 | $760 | $972 | $1,346 | $1,408 |
HUD income limits for Lester, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely 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 Raleigh County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $74,200.
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.
What you can do on Seayora in Lester
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Lester beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Lester, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Lester, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Lester
What is the average mortgage payment in Lester?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Lester, WV is $950 (±$425) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Lester growing?
In Lester, the number of residents went from 454 in 2015–2019 to 377 in 2020–2024 (−17.0%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lester town, West Virginia
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Raleigh County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Raleigh County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 Lester town, West Virginia (place:46468, 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.
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 .