Local Home Prices Called Key To Population Growth In Ohio County
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TRIADELPHIA - The key to attracting new residents to Wheeling and Ohio County might just be providing them with the keys to affordable housing.
Promoting the affordability of local homes was among the topics discussed during the Ohio County Growth and Retention Luncheon on Wednesday at Guntry at The Highlands.
"What I love about Wheeling, West Virginia, is you can come here and still buy a house for under $100,000," said Jimmy Adams, realtor/salesperson for Old Colony Realtors. "When I tell people from outside of Wheeling that, they are like that is not even possible.
"The reality is - it is reality. I sell houses everyday that people can buy for under $100,000 and the mortgage is less than your rent."
Locally in Ohio County, the average cost is up in 2025, according to Adams. The average home sale price in Ohio County is $172,000, up from $160,000 last year, he reported.
"So our market grows," Adams continued. "But what is interesting, though, in the Wheeling market is, nationally, the number is $414,000 - that's what the average home sale in the United States is."
Homes in the Wheeling area typically sit on the market an average of 115 days.
"We are seeing houses sell a little slower now, but that's because we have a little bit of a slump," he said.
There are currently 164 homes on the market in Ohio County.
The total population in the county is at about 41,000, and the median age is getting older, according to Adams.
"The average age is 42.8 years of age, and that continues to get older as our parents age, and our grandparents."
He reported 67% of residents own their property, which is a "very high" owner-occupied rate compared to other markets.
Ohio County Commission President Zach Abraham welcomed a capacity crowd to the large gathering space at Guntry, and he discussed the concept of "growth and retention."
County officials contacted and assembled a core group of local entities to work toward the ultimate goal of increasing the area’s population, he explained. Those participating in the network are the Ohio County Commission, the Ohio County Development Authority, the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city of Wheeling, the Belomar Regional Council, the Community Foundation For The Ohio Valley, the Wheeling Park Commission, Wheeling Heritage, the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, Wheeling Heritage and the Regional Economic Development Partnership.
Abraham said representatives from the entities have been meeting in recent months to determine how best to increase population, and how to grow "the local business ecosystem."
"There are lots of organizations that do a lot around small business, but we want to make sure that we connect and bring those individuals together," he added.
Abraham explained the group is focusing on three initiatives - finding how best to market Ohio County to bring people into the area; improving housing opportunities here so they have a place to live; and making upgrades to infrastructure to better accommodate housing and business facilities.
"There are millions and millions of dollars needed for that," he said. "If we are going to do this, we need some support for infrastructure - water, sewer and internet. We really need to push that forward."
West Liberty University President Tim Borchers spoke about workforce development, and the initiative he has started to connect students with local businesses. Reshaping the Impact for Students and Employees (RISE) is a group of educators and employers he has assembled to brainstorm ways to build local talent pipelines between schools and workplaces that could hire them.
Tissan Joel, founder of the website Hasule.com, spoke of his site's purpose to connect college students with paid internships and higher-paying jobs after graduation. A native of Nigeria, Joel is a 2021 graduate of Wheeling University who has wanted to stay and call Wheeling home. He was introduced by Amber Cool, career services coordinator at Wheeling University.
Stephanie Hockenberry, growth and retention manager for Ohio County, ended with a special request for those present.
"I ask that you notice the people who are looking for a place to be or live," she said. "This could be their place."