If you are considering retiring in the Eastern Panhandle, you are not alone. We get lots of inquiries from people in nearby high population areas thinking the same thing. And there’s a lot of reasons why the Eastern Panhandle is appealing to retirees. So here’s the downlow on retiring in West Virginia.
The number one reason this area is so appealing to retirees is the lower cost of housing and lower property taxes. The median price for a home in Berkeley County WV in 2022 is about $250,000. Compare that to almost $500,000 in Montgomery County MD and $575,000 in Loudoun County VA – so a home in this area will cost you about half of what it would cost for the same home in those 2 counties. Plus property taxes are much lower. Property taxes on a $500,000 house in Montgomery County are between $4500-$5000. About the Same in Loudoun County.
Compare that to $2500 in Berkeley County – so that’s about half in property taxes on the same home price. And what you can buyhere for around $500,000 is quite a bit different – to say the least. Plus seniors in this area get An exemption from property taxes for the first $20,000 of assessed value of their home. West Virginia does tax retirement income including social security in most cases – there are some exceptions – pensions from police, firemen and 6 military are not taxed. But even if your retirement income is taxed, the lower cost of housing and property taxes make up for that and with all the other benefits, West Virginia is a good choice.
Number 2. Lack of congestion. West Virginia is one of the most sparsely populated states in the country. The population density varies depending on the county. Of the 3 counties in the Eastern Panhandle Berkeley has people per sq mile, Jefferson 255 and Morgan 76 people per sq mile. Compare that to Montgomery County in MD – 1,982 people per sq mile and Loudon County in VA – 646 people per sq mile. So it’s less crowded and with that comes less traffic – less congestion. More breathing room. Slower pace. And I think that contributes to the friendliness here – people aren’t in such a rush. So you can Expect more howdies and have a nice day comments.
Number 3. Lifestyle options. If you love the out of doors – hiking, fishing, camping, you’ll love this area. 15 You’ll find more options for that the further west you go where it gets more rural and mountainous – up towards Morgan County. There’s a 23,000 wildlife preserve here – The Sleepy Creek Preserve – with all levels of hiking trails, camp sites. There’s a big lake in that preserve for fishing. You’ll see nature’s display of all 4 seasons –beautiful fall color and wildflowers grow naturally here in their season. Also, There’s a lot of waterfront properties here. We’ve got 3 rivers and lots of mountain creeks and streams. So it’s a great place for the out of doors types. If you like the convenience of walking to stores and restaurants, you’ll find that here in the neighborhoods near town. Charles Town has a fairly large area of homes – some historic – just outside town. Also Shepherdstown and Martinsburg have in town neighborhoods.
Some of the questions we get about this area is the availability of health care facilities, and cultural activities as well as high speed internet. Public transportation. So I’ll address those 4 concerns.
Health care facilities. All 3 counties have a full-service hospital and there are urgent care centers throughout the area. It’s about a 20- 30-minute drive– depending on where you are – to Winchester VA and the Winchester Medical Center. That’s a huge campus – very well known. My husband had a stent implanted and a tumor removed. So for major surgery, that’s where I’d go. So as far as health care facilities, this area is good on that.
Next concern. Cultural activities. The Eastern Panhandle is uniquely located so that it’s fairly easy to drive to several major metro areas where there’s more cultural activities. Unlike central West Virginia, this area borders Virginia and Maryland so a trip to the museums in Washington DC or a play at Ford Theatre is doable – about an hour and a half drive. But you know this area has some interesting things going on. The Contemporary American Theatre Festival is headquartered in Shepherdstown at Shepherd University. They sponsor a week of plays in the summer – people travel from all over the country to attend that. Also, there’s Berkeley Springs which is known for the many artists that live and work there. So you’ll find an outlet for those interests.
High speed internet. That’s pretty much available all over Berkeley & Jefferson County but as you head west and it gets more rural, then it’s spotty. So if that’s important, you’ll want to check that the area you’re interested in has high speed internet which is an easy thing to find out – internet providers have that information online.
Public transportation. There’s not a whole of that here. There’s community buses in Berkeley County but not at all like buses you see in a large city. You can call an Uber or a taxi – that’s available. There’s also MARC train service in Berkeley & Jefferson County that travels to and from Union Station in DC – with stops along the way. That leaves in the morning and returns in the early evening. But getting around locally will for the most part require an automobile unless you live withing walking distance to town or an area with stores and shopping.
OK. Hope this was helpful if you’re thinking about moving here. Paul and I moved here from the DC area and haven’t looked back. If you’ve got any questions or need real estate help, give us a call. We’d love to help. 304-264-2828
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