Lotvox market story · compare
ZIP 26537 vs ZIP 26542
1 of 4
Who's going to sell
Turnover Index not published for 26537 yet.
Where
26537 in Preston County, WV
26537 is one of 14 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Preston County, WV.
Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 4 of the 12 with a value.
- Value rank in county
- 4 of 12
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line boundaries; Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research
Local life
Schools in 26537
3 school locations in 26537: 1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high.
In alphabetical order: CENTRAL PRESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, KINGWOOD ELEMENTARY, PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.
- School locations
- 3
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (school locations)
Turnover Index not published for 26542 yet.
Where
26542 in Preston County, WV
26542 is one of 14 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Preston County, WV — 75% of its own area is in the county.
Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 5 of the 12 with a value.
- Value rank in county
- 5 of 12
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line boundaries; Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research
2 of 4
What it costs
Home values
What homes are worth in 26537
In January 2000 the typical home in 26537 was worth $64,394.
Values peaked at $180,204 in August 2026. The latest reading is the peak.
As of August 2026: $180,204, +4.7% over twelve months.
- Typical home value
- $180,204
- 12-month change
- +4.7%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research · data as of 2026-08-31
Housing pulse
Monthly cost vs. price
Start with the typical home: $180,204. Put 20% down and borrow $144,163 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.
That is $998 a month in principal and interest.
The median household here earns $57,788 a year, $4,816 a month. So the payment takes 20.7% of income — rated “affordable” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).
The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 7.4% in 2000.
- Payment share of income
- 20.7%
- Monthly P&I
- $998
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08-31
Lotvox lens
The payment, at each month's rate
Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $386.
In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $427.
By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $927 — +117% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +37%.
- Payment change since 2020
- +117%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Lotvox lens
Home value after inflation
Deflated with CPI-U (seasonally adjusted, FRED CPIAUCSL) to August 2026; the site's Housing pulse chart uses its own CPI series, so older months can differ slightly.
Reported values rose +180% since January 2000.
General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.
Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $127,088. So the real change is +42%, not +180%.
- Real change since 2000
- +42%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), via FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Deflated with CPI-U (seasonally adjusted, FRED CPIAUCSL) to August 2026; the site's Housing pulse chart uses its own CPI series, so older months can differ slightly.
Home values
26537 against its neighbors
26537: +180% since January 2000.
Preston County: +208% since January 2000.
West Virginia: +139% since January 2000 — 26537 ran ahead of it by 41 points.
- Change since 2000
- +180%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Lotvox lens
Rent or own
Owning the typical home costs about $1,178 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $664 a month.
Price divided by a year's rent: 22.6. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.
- Price-to-rent
- 22.6
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above)
Home values
What homes are worth in 26542
In January 2000 the typical home in 26542 was worth $53,804.
Values peaked at $174,185 in August 2026. The latest reading is the peak.
As of August 2026: $174,185, +4.3% over twelve months.
- Typical home value
- $174,185
- 12-month change
- +4.3%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research · data as of 2026-08-31
Housing pulse
Monthly cost vs. price
Start with the typical home: $174,185. Put 20% down and borrow $139,348 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.
That is $965 a month in principal and interest.
The median household here earns $59,063 a year, $4,922 a month. So the payment takes 19.6% of income — rated “affordable” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).
The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 6.1% in 2000.
- Payment share of income
- 19.6%
- Monthly P&I
- $965
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08-31
Lotvox lens
The payment, at each month's rate
Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $322.
In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $398.
By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $896 — +125% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +42%.
- Payment change since 2020
- +125%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Lotvox lens
Home value after inflation
Deflated with CPI-U (seasonally adjusted, FRED CPIAUCSL) to August 2026; the site's Housing pulse chart uses its own CPI series, so older months can differ slightly.
Reported values rose +224% since January 2000.
General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.
Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $106,188. So the real change is +64%, not +224%.
- Real change since 2000
- +64%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), via FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Deflated with CPI-U (seasonally adjusted, FRED CPIAUCSL) to August 2026; the site's Housing pulse chart uses its own CPI series, so older months can differ slightly.
Home values
26542 against its neighbors
26542: +224% since January 2000.
Preston County: +208% since January 2000.
West Virginia: +139% since January 2000 — 26542 ran ahead of it by 85 points.
- Change since 2000
- +224%
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
Lotvox lens
Rent or own
Owning the typical home costs about $1,139 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,063 a month.
Price divided by a year's rent: 13.7. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.
- Price-to-rent
- 13.7
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research; Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), Zillow Research; Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US), retrieved from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above)
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What's moving
Housing pulse
Sales pace vs. normal
Homes sold: about 4 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).
The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 4 — so sales ran at 100% of it, and below it in 3 of the last 24 months.
- Sales vs 2015–19 level
- 100%
Source: Redfin Data Center (market tracker data); Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
New supply
Homes being permitted
Across Preston County, builders pulled permits for 8 new homes in 2025.
Of those, 100% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).
- Units permitted 2025
- 8
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data as of 2025
Housing pulse
Sales pace vs. normal
Homes sold: about 1 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).
The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 1 — so sales ran at 100% of it, and below it in 8 of the last 24 months.
- Sales vs 2015–19 level
- 100%
Source: Redfin Data Center (market tracker data); Lotvox analysis (calculations on the sources above) · data as of 2026-08
New supply
Homes being permitted
Across Preston County, builders pulled permits for 8 new homes in 2025.
Of those, 100% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).
- Units permitted 2025
- 8
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data as of 2025
4 of 4
Who's holding, who's leaving
Housing pulse
Migration and inventory
This ZIP sits in Preston County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 232 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 251 moved out.
Net across those counties: −19 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 19 in June 2026.
Most arrivals came from Monongalia, WV (170 households); most departures went to Monongalia, WV (175).
- Net households (top-10 flows)
- −19
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration data; Redfin Data Center (market tracker data) · data as of 2026-06-01
Housing pulse
Migration and inventory
This ZIP sits in Preston County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 232 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 251 moved out.
Net across those counties: −19 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 8 in June 2026.
Most arrivals came from Monongalia, WV (170 households); most departures went to Monongalia, WV (175).
- Net households (top-10 flows)
- −19
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration data; Redfin Data Center (market tracker data) · data as of 2026-06-01