New report shows Charleston is a ‘hidden gem’

A new study from Lending Tree looked at housing stats for metro areas outside of the nation’s 50 largest metros, and two West Virginia cities made the list. The report ranked Charleston as the second-best hidden gem and Huntington as the fourth-best. Criteria included population, the median home value, the homeownership rate, the median household income, and monthly housing costs. Huntsville, Alabama was the top smaller metro area often overlook, just ahead of Charleston.