City profile
Martinsburg, WV
Eastern Panhandle town with a train to D.C. and Shenandoah Valley scenery.
Climate
Climate type
Four seasons
Winter avg
31°F
Summer avg
76°F
Sunny days / yr
190
Home prices & cost of living
Median home price
$300,000
Typical monthly housing
$1,838
Cost of living (100 = U.S.)
94
Taxes
- Property tax
- 0.55%
- State income tax (top)
- 4.82%
- Social Security
- Not taxed
- Pensions
- Partly exempt
- Sales tax (state + avg. local)
- 6.59%
FEMA natural hazard risk
Relatively Low · county score 68/100
Top hazards: Strong wind, Hurricane, Riverine flooding
Nearest major airport
45 mi to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Political lean (2024 county vote)
Leans Republican · 35% Democratic / 63% Republican
Demographics (Census ACS)
Population (2024)
18,904
Growth since 2019
+8.2%
Median age
37.4
Residents 65+
16.3%
Median household income
$59,555
Income growth since 2019
+39.0%
Black household income
$64,576
Home ownership
47.9%
Poverty rate
19.8%
Poverty rate, 65+
17.5%
Race & ethnicity: Black 15.2% · White 64.7% · Hispanic 10.6% · Asian 0.3% · Other 9.3%
Crime (per 100,000 residents, 2024)
Violent crime
221 · 33% below the national average
Property crime
1,727 · 11% above the national average
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Martinsburg Police Department. State average: violent 265, property 1,085.
2025–2026 trends
2026 market trends
- ▸More retirees are leaving WV than arriving, mostly over cost
- ▸Climate/cost risks to check: flooding
Highlights
- Train to Washington, DC
- Low taxes
- Shenandoah Valley
Trade-offs
- Limited healthcare
- Car-dependent
Figures are estimates from public sources (see How we match). Verify before making decisions.