Wood County presents a yield-versus-depth tension: Zillow’s county median home value was $177,005 at its 2026-06 observation, alongside published market rent and a reported 6.80% gross yield. This warrants investigation by buyers who can test property-level costs, while buyers dependent on easy resale or broad demand should be cautious. Zillow value growth was 2.11%; FHFA’s 2025 repeat-transaction HPI rose 5.10%. Both point upward, but the latter is an index rather than a home value, and their distinct vintages and methods cannot be blended.
Measured market rent, not HUD FMR, supports the stated gross-yield screen. The $1,003 asking rent is 8.10% above the $928 two-bedroom HUD payment standard; FMR is not an asking-rent estimate and cannot substitute for market rent. An effective property-tax rate of 0.59% adds a known carrying-cost input, but reported gross yield is before operating costs. Insurance, maintenance, vacancy, financing and property condition are not published, so net yield cannot be determined.
Demand evidence is mixed. QCEW reports 35,160 annual average covered jobs at county workplaces, down 0.99%, and a $1,093 average weekly covered-worker wage. Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest disclosed private supersector, not a description of the entire economy. Migration shows a net outflow of 28 tax-return households, with inbound average income below outbound average income. Realtor.com MLS evidence shows a 48-day median marketing time and 12.28% of listings reduced in price; these are listing-market friction and seller-concession signals, not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand.
Inland flood is the dominant hazard, and modeled annual expected building-value loss is 0.21%. The record reports 49 investor purchases among 735 total purchases, consistent with a 6.67% non-owner purchase-mortgage share; this is participation, not evidence of investor demand for any property. Flood-zone status, elevation, insurance quotes, closed-sale comparables, lease-up, and neighborhood vacancy are not published. Their absence prevents a property-specific loss, net-income and exit-liquidity conclusion.