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West Virginia market guide
DSCR loans in Clarksburg, WV
Rental financing for Clarksburg investors, qualified on the property's rent.
Investors buying in Clarksburg, WV are measured on the rent the property earns. Locally, median gross rent is $790 and median real estate taxes are $783 a year, which together set how much loan a rent can carry.
Clarksburg rents, values and tenants
A DSCR lender in Clarksburg is comparing a rent against a payment, and the citywide benchmarks are a median gross rent of $790 and a median home value of $129,900. The rent figure is about 9% below the West Virginia median of $872. A quick screen: twelve months of Clarksburg median rent over its median home value equals 7.3%, close to the range investors often call workable. Use it to compare markets, then replace it with real rent evidence for the address.
| Indicator | West Virginia | Clarksburg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons per household | 2.37 | 2.28 | |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 4.9% | 13.1% | +167% |
| Share of homes detached | 70.9% | 70.1% | -1% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 17.5% | 8.2% | -53% |
| Workers on their own account | 6.8% | 5.6% | -17% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 48.9% | 53.8% | +10% |
| Typical construction year | 1976 | 1948 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 6.4% | 7.3% | +13% |
| Households that rent | 25.1% | 39.0% | +55% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 0.53% | 0.60% | +13% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $865 | $783 | -9% |
| Household income, median | $59,608 | $47,386 | -21% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $162,600 | $129,900 | -20% |
| Typical monthly rent | $872 | $790 | -9% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 1,778,373 | 15,549 |
39.0% of Clarksburg households rent, well above the West Virginia median of 25%. That is a healthy base of tenants without the churn of a pure student or military town. Household income runs a median $47,386 (about 21% below the West Virginia median of $59,608), while 54% of renters spend 30 percent or more of income on housing.
Homes, buildings and vacancies in Clarksburg
Detached houses are 70% of all units in Clarksburg. That mix favors single-family rentals and makes small multifamily scarcer and, sometimes, more valuable. A median construction year of 1948 means many properties predate modern codes, so budget for repairs before you trust a cash-flow figure.
Clarksburg reports 17% of units vacant and a rental vacancy rate of 18.6%, a measure of how quickly a listed unit might lease.
How investors should read Clarksburg
At 7.3% gross, Clarksburg is a middle-yield market, so ratios usually clear with a normal down payment and careful attention to insurance and taxes. Because the housing is older (median built 1948), repair reserves and insurance on aging roofs and wiring deserve a bigger line in your budget than the lender's ratio will show. A 39% renter share is large enough to keep units leased, so location relative to jobs and schools drives rent more than the market as a whole.
The payment side of the Clarksburg ratio
The Census reports median real estate taxes paid of $783 in Clarksburg, about 9% below the West Virginia median of $865. Against the median value that is an effective rate of roughly 0.60%, compared with 0.53% for West Virginia as a whole. Set beside the median rent, the tax alone consumes about 8% of annual rent.
The federal National Risk Index scores Harrison County relatively low for overall risk, led by riverine flooding (relatively moderate), hail (relatively moderate) and lightning (relatively moderate). That is a county-level view, so check the flood map for the exact parcel.
| Hazard in Harrison County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Landslides exposure | Relatively Low |
| Lightning exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Hail exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Riverine flooding exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Social vulnerability score | Relatively Moderate |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Low |
| Composite risk | Relatively Low |
A Clarksburg landlord policy is priced on roof, age, wiring and location, and the annual premium divided by twelve lands in the payment the lender tests.
What the Clarksburg medians allow
Try the math at the medians. With rent at $790 and taxes near $65 a month, a 1.00 DSCR leaves $725 for everything else in the payment, a 1.20 ratio leaves $593, and a 1.25 ratio leaves $567. Any real property will differ, but the exercise shows how little room insurance and dues can take.
Landlord and short-term rental rules in Clarksburg
Before you underwrite a Clarksburg rental, confirm with city hall and Harrison County whether landlords must register, pass an inspection or hold a permit, especially for stays under 30 days, because those rules can change what income a lender will count. Nightly stays carry state tax in West Virginia. West Virginia taxes lodging rentals of 30 consecutive days or less, so owners register with the State Tax Department and collect state and municipal sales tax, while county or municipal hotel occupancy taxes are separate and locally administered.
West Virginia gives a landlord 60 days after the tenancy ends to return a deposit, an easy deadline to miss without a checklist.
Clarksburg compared with nearby markets
Of the cities listed, Bridgeport is the most expensive ($291,600 median value) and Wheeling the least ($146,500); Clarksburg sits at $129,900.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | 40% | $917 | $146,500 | 26,350 | $794 |
| Morgantown | 56% | $1,301 | $259,400 | 30,236 | $937 |
| Fairmont | 37% | $987 | $163,800 | 18,221 | $916 |
| Bridgeport | 25% | $1,759 | $291,600 | 9,252 | $1,105 |
| Clarksburg | 39% | $783 | $129,900 | 15,549 | $790 |
Who rents in Clarksburg
The self-employed share of the workforce is 5.6%, and those owners tend to be exactly the buyers DSCR financing was built for. Three more data points: government workers are about 25% of employment, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 8% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Higher education in and around Clarksburg includes Pierpont Community and Technical College, which feeds demand for student, staff and faculty housing near campus. For getting around, Clarksburg has interstate access via I-79 and air service through Clarksburg Benedum Airport and North Central West Virginia Airport, which matters to commuters and to out-of-town owners planning a visit.
Moving from numbers to a Clarksburg loan
A good Clarksburg file has four pieces: rent evidence, a tax estimate, an insurance quote and cash. Preview the ratio in the calculator, then apply or talk to us.
More West Virginia markets
- All West Virginia DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Bridgeport, WV
- DSCR loans in Fairmont, WV
- DSCR loans in Morgantown, WV
- DSCR loans in Wheeling, WV
- Every market we cover
Where we checked
- Federal hazard index, WV
- Background reading: Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Deposit statute: W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2, 37-6A-3, 37-6A-5
- For nightly stays in Clarksburg: West Virginia State Tax Department, TSD 316
- Census ACS profile behind the Clarksburg figures
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 ACS five-year estimates for Clarksburg and carry margins of error. Deposit and notice summaries come from RedFlagLease (CC BY 4.0) and the linked West Virginia sections. Verified October 2026. Ordinances and statutes change, so confirm before acting.
Quick file checklist
For a Clarksburg rental, request the current lease, the last tax bill and the insurance declarations page early, and confirm which utilities the tenant pays, because each one changes the monthly figure a lender compares with the rent.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
How does a lender pick the rent for a Clarksburg DSCR file?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Clarksburg. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $790 a month.
Does the ratio in Clarksburg include taxes and dues?
Yes, the payment includes principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association dues. At the Clarksburg median rent of $790, a 1.25 ratio allows about $632 in total payment, of which roughly $65 a month goes to median taxes.
What do Clarksburg owners pay in real estate taxes?
The median bill is $783, an effective rate near 0.60%. Because Harrison County may reassess at sale, use an estimate on the new price when you run the ratio.
Can nightly stays at a Clarksburg property support a DSCR file?
Possible where lender guidelines allow it, subject to Clarksburg and Harrison County rules and to the building's association. Lenders usually average a year of bookings and discount the result.
What does West Virginia law say about deposits at a Clarksburg rental?
Return: 60 days. Statute: W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2, 37-6A-3, 37-6A-5. Confirm current text before you rely on it.
What hazard risk does Clarksburg carry for investors?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall natural hazard risk as relatively low. That is a county-level view, so check the FEMA flood map and an insurance quote for the exact Clarksburg address.
Is an entity required for a WV DSCR loan?
You do not need one, and many investors close in an entity. If you use an LLC, the lender asks for formation documents and usually a personal guaranty. Talk to your attorney and accountant about structure for a West Virginia property.