Cabell County presents a cash-flow-versus-demand tension: published market rent and gross yield offer an income screen, while listing-market, migration and workplace evidence warrant caution. This county-level screen fits investors able to validate property-level costs and flood exposure; it is less decisive for buyers relying on resale liquidity or demographic growth.
Housing economics support only a gross screen. At Zillow’s 2026-06 county observation, median home value was $171,705 and measured median asking rent was $1,062; these support the reported 7.42% gross yield before costs. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR was $973, a payment standard rather than market asking rent, and cannot replace measured rent in a yield calculation. The effective property-tax rate was 0.60%, requiring parcel validation. Separately, FHFA’s 2025 repeat-transaction HPI rose 7.14% annually. It supports Zillow’s price direction but is not a home value and cannot be averaged with Zillow’s differently dated measure.
Realtor.com’s MLS listing-market evidence is softer than a price narrative: median listing price fell 1.42% year over year, active listings rose, marketing time lengthened, and 17.15% of listings had a price reduction. These are asking-price, visible-supply and seller-concession signals—not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand. Net migration was negative 62 tax-return households, while outgoing movers’ average income exceeded incoming movers’ by $4,122. Investor share was 10.6% of 868 purchases; participation exists but does not establish bidding pressure. QCEW annual covered employment at county workplaces declined while average weekly wages rose; Education and health services was the largest disclosed private supersector. It is not resident employment, unemployment or a forecast.
Inland flood is the principal risk limit: modeled climate loss equals 0.21% of building value expected per year, a modeled ratio rather than a property-specific loss or insurance quote. Underwriting needs flood-zone and claims history, elevation, coverage availability and deductibles before using gross yield. Property-level taxes and insurance, vacancy and repair costs, transaction prices, lease terms, household-income distribution, and flood-mitigation condition are not published. Their absence prevents conclusions on net yield, exit value, affordability and asset-level hazard exposure; county aggregates cannot identify neighborhood liquidity or a building’s operating profile.