TaxLienSimple

The TaxLienSimple Index / West Virginia

The TaxLienSimple Index · WV · 2026

West Virginia Tax-Lien & Tax-Deed Investing

What West Virginia statute actually pays — return, redemption and bid method — cross-referenced with the live auction inventory we track. Every figure traces to state law or a county source.

Statutes verified Jul 29, 2026

63 /100
Tier A National rank #6 of 51
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.
Sale type
Tax Lien
Statutory return / penalty
1% per month from the date of sale = 12%/yr, applied to taxes/charges due at sale (and to subsequently paid taxes and capped expenses from their payment dates), per W. Va. Code §11A-3-56.
Redemption period
Owner may redeem from the State Auditor at any time until a deed is issued; in practice a deed can follow roughly 18 months after the sale (SB 552 (2022) now runs sales through the State Auditor).
Bid method
premium bid
Sale season
County lien sales commonly autumn; state land-sale availability is ongoing
What you buy
County tax lien sale and State Auditor land sale

Statutory note. Since the 2022 SB 552 overhaul the State Auditor conducts one annual tax-lien-certificate sale per county; the frequently-quoted older 18% figure no longer applies — current redemption interest is 1%/month (12%/yr) under §11A-3-56.

4,356live parcels tracked
52counties with inventory
#6of 51 jurisdictions
Read the score correctly. The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

Remote Investor Snapshot

Verified public-data profile for out-of-area investors — every figure below traces to the cited government source. Blank fields mean the source does not publish that value for this area (we never estimate).

Market & demographics

Population
1,792,967
5-yr population growth
-2.4% shrinking
Median household income
$55,217
Median age
42.6
Poverty rate
16.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Housing market

Median home value
$145,800
Median gross rent
$831/mo
Owner-occupied
74.2% 25.8% renter
Vacancy rate
16.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Property-tax burden

Median real-estate taxes
$809/yr
Effective property-tax rate
0.55% of home value

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Natural-hazard risk & safety

Unemployment rate
4.4%

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (2023); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (2023 annual)

Growth & livability signals

New residential permits
4,014 units, 2023
Broadband subscription
82.7%
Bachelor's degree +
22.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (2023); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (household broadband subscription; FCC availability not yet integrated); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (educational attainment — school-quality proxy; NCES ratings not yet integrated)

Risk & opportunity flags

Opportunity Zone tracts
55 tax-advantaged
EPA Superfund (NPL) sites
14
EPA Brownfield sites
732

Source: U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund / IRS designated Opportunity Zones; U.S. EPA (SEMS National Priorities List; ACRES Brownfields)

Counties we track in West Virginia

#CountyTaxLienSimple IndexLive parcels
1 MCDOWELL County A 65 349
2 KANAWHA County A 65 330
3 DODDRIDGE County A 65 306
4 MONONGALIA County A 65 294
5 ROANE County A 65 269
6 GREENBRIER County A 65 189
7 FAYETTE County A 64 173
8 JACKSON County A 64 144
9 HARRISON County A 64 142
10 RALEIGH County A 64 142
11 MERCER County A 64 136
12 CABELL County A 64 125
13 WETZEL County A 64 125
14 UPSHUR County A 64 115
15 MINGO County A 64 111
16 MARSHALL County A 64 98
17 GILMER County A 64 97
18 MARION County A 64 93
19 NICHOLAS County A 64 91
20 LOGAN County A 64 84
21 LINCOLN County A 64 77
22 CALHOUN County A 64 71
23 WYOMING County A 64 71
24 OHIO County A 64 67
25 CLAY County A 63 64
26 WEBSTER County A 63 59
27 PUTNAM County A 63 58
28 BOONE County A 63 57
29 PRESTON County A 63 40
30 LEWIS County A 63 39
31 BRAXTON County A 63 37
32 RITCHIE County A 63 35
33 BERKELEY County A 63 33
34 SUMMERS County A 63 33
35 WAYNE County A 63 28
36 HANCOCK County A 63 24
37 TAYLOR County A 63 23
38 MINERAL County B 62 16
39 WOOD County B 62 16
40 PLEASANTS County B 62 14
41 WIRT County B 62 14
42 MASON County B 62 12
43 RANDOLPH County B 62 11
44 TUCKER County B 62 10
45 BARBOUR County B 62 9
46 JEFFERSON County B 62 9
47 HARDY County B 61 4
48 MONROE County B 61 4
49 MORGAN County B 61 3
50 GRANT County B 61 2
51 HAMPSHIRE County B 61 2
52 POCAHONTAS County B 60 1

West Virginia tax sale — FAQ

What is the TaxLienSimple Index for West Virginia?

West Virginia scores 63/100 (Tier A), ranked #6 of 51 jurisdictions. The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

How does redemption and return work in West Virginia?

1% per month from the date of sale = 12%/yr, applied to taxes/charges due at sale (and to subsequently paid taxes and capped expenses from their payment dates), per W. Va. Code §11A-3-56. Redemption period: Owner may redeem from the State Auditor at any time until a deed is issued; in practice a deed can follow roughly 18 months after the sale (SB 552 (2022) now runs sales through the State Auditor).. Since the 2022 SB 552 overhaul the State Auditor conducts one annual tax-lien-certificate sale per county; the frequently-quoted older 18% figure no longer applies — current redemption interest is 1%/month (12%/yr) under §11A-3-56.

What is West Virginia's statutory return on a tax lien or tax deed purchase?

1% per month from the date of sale = 12%/yr, applied to taxes/charges due at sale (and to subsequently paid taxes and capped expenses from their payment dates), per W. Va. Code §11A-3-56. Since the 2022 SB 552 overhaul the State Auditor conducts one annual tax-lien-certificate sale per county; the frequently-quoted older 18% figure no longer applies — current redemption interest is 1%/month (12%/yr) under §11A-3-56.

What is the bid method for West Virginia tax sales?

West Virginia uses a premium bid method for its tax lien sales.

Does West Virginia use tax-lien auctions or tax-deed sales?

West Virginia uses a tax lien system. Since the 2022 SB 552 overhaul the State Auditor conducts one annual tax-lien-certificate sale per county; the frequently-quoted older 18% figure no longer applies — current redemption interest is 1%/month (12%/yr) under §11A-3-56.

See the actual parcels in West Virginia

Browse the live tax-lien, deed and foreclosure inventory we track — search by county, redemption window and opening bid.

Browse live auction inventory →  ·  West Virginia tax delinquent property list →  ·  West Virginia state guide →  ·  Set a max bid →  ·  Academy: what a tax lien actually is →
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

© 2026 TaxLienSimple · The TaxLienSimple Index is compiled from state tax statutes and county treasurer/tax-collector offices; live inventory counts reflect parcels currently tracked by TaxLienSimple and update continuously. Nothing here is investment or legal advice.