Moving to
Martinsburg.

All Martinsburg data Compare Martinsburg

18,904people live here $59,555median household income▼ 26% below US $1,150median rent per month▼ 19% below US $240,000median home value▼ 28% below US

What it's like to live in Martinsburg

Martinsburg is a small city in West Virginia with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Martinsburg deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.

The good

Rent below the national average
Affordable home prices
Low unemployment in the county
Low crime rates
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Martinsburg compares

Median household income

Martinsburg$59,555

West Virginia avg$59,608

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Martinsburg$1,150

West Virginia avg$872

US$1,413

Median home value

Martinsburg$240,000

West Virginia avg$162,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Martinsburg

Based on Martinsburg's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,300

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,000 a year
51% of Martinsburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$48,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $24,000
Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 19% below US

$1,150/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,150 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $240,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $240,000 · 51% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.6% county unemployment

Unemployment in Berkeley County is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Berkeley County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 39% below US

221 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1727/100k · Martinsburg Police Department · 2024 data

Getting aroundNear US average

26 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 26 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Carpool

15%

Work from home

8.8%

Walk

3.2%

Public transit

1.8%

Other

0.7%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 31% below US

25% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

9 public schools inside the boundary

There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Antietam National Battlefield (13 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Martinsburg's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,150/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

See all the data for Martinsburg →·All West Virginia cities →