Photo: Aesopposea · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, West Union costs more to live in than 52% of U.S. towns
It ranks #636 of 993 in Ohio for affordability. About the same as a year ago, 23% below the Ohio typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Adams County, OH ($50K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Adams County earn ($50K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 2.6 years of area income, and 67% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $191Ktypical home, 23% below the Ohio typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$50K, Adams County income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 67%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Ohio: 46%Census 2020–24
- 18%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in West Union
About two in three renters are stretched
67% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 46% across Ohio. A standard two-bedroom would take 40% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Most West Union households rent
62% of households rent their home, 630 in all, against 33% across Ohio. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind West Union’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, West Union is more affordable than 48% of U.S. towns, #636 of 993 in Ohio. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Ohio: up 27.1% in five years, against 29.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 27.1% in five years
About the same pace as Ohio (29.8%).
Show as a table
| January | West Union | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $104,000 | $131,000 |
| 2018 | $106,000 | $139,000 |
| 2019 | $111,000 | $148,000 |
| 2020 | $116,000 | $156,000 |
| 2021 | $138,000 | $175,000 |
| 2022 | $154,000 | $193,000 |
| 2023 | $161,000 | $208,000 |
| 2024 | $170,000 | $221,000 |
| 2025 | $182,000 | $234,000 |
| 2026 | $187,000 | $242,000 |
| September 2026 | $191,000 | $246,000 |
A typical West Union home worth $102K in October 2016 is worth about $191K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to West Union’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $2K short of a typical West Union home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $210 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, West Union’s typical property tax (1.12% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970
Renters already here pay a median of $658, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Adams County, OH): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
12 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 12 new homes in West Union in 2025: 9 single-family houses and 3 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $3.5 million to build. That's 4.1 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Ohio as a whole. Over the past 10 years, West Union has permitted 71 homes in all.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 12 | 6 | 6 | $2.9 million |
| 2025 | 12 | 9 | 3 | $3.5 million |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2023 | 14 | 6 | 8 | $3.2 million |
| 2022 | 24 | 16 | 8 | $5.6 million |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $734,000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $238,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $429,000 |
| 2017 | 7 | 3 | 4 | $675,000 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $201,000 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $201,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Ohio norm
The median bill is $1,490 (Ohio: $2,822), 1.12% of a home’s value a year, against 1.31% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
West Union and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Union | B− | $191K | $133K | 1.12% | $970 |
Questions about the cost of living in West Union
Is West Union expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, West Union costs more than 52% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #636 of 993 in Ohio. The typical home costs 2.6 years of the median household income of Adams County, OH ($50K).
How much does a house cost in West Union?
About $191K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.2% in a year. The Ohio typical home is $246K.
What salary do you need to live in West Union?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $50,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,180 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in West Union?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $658 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in West Union?
The median bill is $1,490 a year, 1.12% of the median home value (Ohio: $2,822, 1.31%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in West Union going up?
Barely: up 0.2% in the past year and 27.1% in five years, against 29.8% across Ohio (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What West Union buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.