Top 10 Richest Towns in West Virginia by Average Household Income

🗺️ Map of the Top 10 Richest Towns in West Virginia

🏙️ Richest Towns in West Virginia in Ascending Order

Below find the list of the wealthiest towns in the Mountain State in ascending order by average household income. Check out the following section to find our more about the difference between average household income and median household income and what this discrepancy implies.

🏡 10. Charles Town, Jefferson County

Home to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Charles Town was established in 1787 and named after its founder, Charles Washington, George Washington’s brother.

Charles Town is number 10 on our list of the top 10 richest towns in West Virginia by average household income. That said, the town is still well above others in median household income, indicating a much more even distribution of wealth between its 6,373 inhabitants.

Charles Town also has the highest levels of unemployment, at a concerning 9.10%. With a per capita income of $37,853, Charles Town inhabitants may find getting on the property ladder difficult, with the median property value approaching $300,000.

🏡 9. Eastern, Monongalia County

Eastern was established in 1970, along with Central and Western, to consolidate Monongalia County’s seven districts into three. An incredibly well-educated area, 52.6% of Eastern’s population have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Speaking of which, Eastern’s 45,678 inhabitants make the area the most populous on this list.

🏡 8. Maple, Doddridge County

Maple is one of four magisterial districts of Doddridge County, which were incorporated in the 1980s alongside Beech, Oak, and Pine. These districts were created to consolidate the growing number of districts in the area.

According to census data, Maple has the oldest population on our list, with a median age of 55.5 years among its 1,608 residents. The area stretches from West Union on the Middle Island Creek to within a few kilometers of Salem.

🏡 7. Winfield, Putnam County

Located along the Kanawha River, Winfield serves as the historic seat of Putnam County. Established in 1868, it honors Winfield Scott, a distinguished US Army General. The city, home to nearly 2,400 residents, shows its rich history in the local landmarks that have made their way to the National Register of Historic Places.

Winfield is around 15 miles from the Mardi Gras Racino in Nitro, which features slots, table games, and greyhound racing.

🏡 6. Hannan, Mason County

Established in 1863, Hannan District is one of the ten magisterial districts in Mason County, West Virginia. It’s named after Thomas Hannan, the area’s first European settler. Based along the Ohio River, the district has a population of 3,202 spread across its various unincorporated villages.

Hannan has the lowest level of unemployment on our list, while its inhabitants earn the least per capita. This, in addition to the difference in the median and average household income ratio, would suggest there is quite a large wealth disparity in the area.

🏡 5. West Union, Doddridge County

Home to just 898 residents across less than a single square kilometer, West Union is the county seat of Doddridge County and is located along Middle Island Creek.

West Union has endured two devastating catastrophes: a fierce fire in 1858 that decimated large parts of the town and then, nearly a century later, in 1950, a devastating flood that ravaged the town, tragically claiming the lives of 22 inhabitants.

West Union has three unique distinctions on our list. It boasts the most affordable homes, the smallest percentage of bachelor-degree holders, and has the lowest population.

🏡 4. Bridgeport, Jefferson County

First settled in 1771 and incorporated in 1887, Bridgeport houses 9,310 of the 65,158 residents that make up Harrison County. It is not known from which bridge the area gets its name, although it is believed to have been named after a bridge over Simpson Creek.

Bridgeport is also home to Meadowbrook Mall, a shopping complex built in 1982 with 109 stores, spanning almost 850,000 square feet, garnering footfall from across the entire region and creating a large number of jobs for locals. At number four on our list, bridgeport is the richest city in West Virginia.

🏡 3. Shepherdstown, Mason County

In the second appearance of Jefferson County, Shepherdstown is the joint oldest incorporated town in West Virginia, along with Romney. Additionally, Shepherdstown is possibly the oldest settlement in the state, with some signs that the town was first settled as early as 1717.

The town was first known as Mechlenburg by its heavy German population but was renamed Shepherdstown after Thomas Shepherd, who had established a gristmill in 1739, providing industry for the townspeople.

Prospective home buyers may be interested to know this town has the highest median property value on this list, with half of all homes in the area valued at $347,000 or more.

🏡 2. Kabletown, Jefferson County

Based along Bullskin Run, a spring-fed stream near Shenandoah River, Kabletown is the wealthiest community in Jefferson County, with a population of 12,396. Its name is derived from the Kable family, a prominent lineage whose name can be traced back to the area since at least the 1750s.

The location is famous for being the site of the Battle of Kabletown, where on November 18, 1864, Mosby’s Rangers and Blazer’s Scouts clashed during the Civil War.

🏡 1. North Hills, Wood County

The self-proclaimed ‘most desirable Town in West Virginia,’ North Hills, incorporated in 1979, is the wealthiest town in the Mountain State, with a small population of under a thousand residents. The town backs up its claims of natural beauty by boasting the most green space per resident, with a two-acre lake, a large public pool, and a dog park.

Aside from ranking first on our list of the top 10 richest cities in West Virginia, North Hills is also the recipient of four more distinctions, with the highest number of bachelor-educated residents, the youngest median population, the highest per capita income, and the highest median household income — it’s the richest town in West Virginia.

🏘️ Which is the Richest County in West Virginia?

Jefferson County, represented three times on our list of WV’s top 10 richest towns, is the richest county in WV. Its 58,979 residents have a median household income of $86,711, compared to the national average of $69,021 and the state average of $50,884.

Both Kabletown and Shepherdstown are approximately 10 miles from the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, all in Jefferson County, making it easy for residents to enjoy live horse racing, slots, and table games.

Here’s how Jefferson County compares to West Virginia and the United States:

📊 West Virginia Population Statistics

West Virginia has a declining population that is largely made up of white alone households, who have an 89.8% representation in the state. The population is also one of the oldest in the United States, with 20.9% of its residents over 65. Below are some more interesting population statistics.

West Virginia Population by Race and Ethnicity

West Virginia is the joint-second least diverse state in America, with a total population that is made up of 89.8% white people with an overall diversity score of 20.2%. The US Census uses the Diversity Index Equation to calculate diversity, the formula for which can be found here.

Here’s a quick glance at race and ethnicity demographics in West Virginia:

Berkeley County is West Virginia’s most diverse county, with a diversity index of 36.2%.

Interestingly, the richest area in West Virginia, Jefferson County, is also the second-most diverse, with a diversity index of 35.9%, just a hair behind that of Berkeley County.

West Virginia Racial Demographics

Let’s look into the racial demographics in WV by county:

• Webster County, Lincoln County, and Ritchie County had the highest concentration of White households, each with between 96.6% and 96.7%;
• Berkeley County, Jefferson County, and Gilmer County were the three areas with the fewest White households, with 80.5%, 81.2%, and 84%, respectively;
• Gilmer County, McDowell County, and Raleigh County had the largest number of Black or African American households, with 12.6%, 11.3%, and 7.8%, respectively;
• Tyler County, Wirt County, and Webster Counties had the fewest number of Black or African American households, each with below 0.2%;
• Jefferson and Berkeley also had the highest number of Hispanic or Latino origin populations, with 7.2% and 5.6%, respectively. Wirt and Tyler County each had below 0.6% Hispanic or Latino origin residents;
• All other demographics, including Asian, Native Hawaiian, and American Indian, didn’t have more than a 1% representation in the WV population.

Population by Age

West Virginia has among the oldest populations in the US, with the third-highest percentage of 65+ residents per capita at 20.9%, behind only Maine and popular retirement destination Florida.

Declining Population

West Virginia has had a steadily declining population for a long time. In the 1950s, the Mountain State surpassed 2 million residents for the first time, though this number began falling over the next 70 years.

By the year 2000, there were about 200,000 fewer residents in West Virginia, and by 2020, this number had dropped about 30,000 more, for a total of 1.775 million residents.

Statistics show us that it’s a migration issue, as West Virginians themselves are having plenty more new births than deaths.

🤔 What’s the Difference Between Average and Median Household Income?

Average household income is calculated by adding together the income of each household in the state and dividing the total by the number of households there are. The median income calculates the midpoint between household incomes and is less likely to be skewed by outliers such as extremely high or low-income households. For instance, the median household income of the 10 richest towns in New Jersey is $207,535, while while the state median is $89,703.

Generally, when the average income is significantly higher than the median, it is a sign of income disparity, while an average income closer to the median signifies a more even distribution of wealth between households in a given area. Even the poorest cities in West Virginia have some level of income disparity.

As an example, Eastern, Monongalia County, has an average income of $98,863, but the median household income is $59,917, meaning half of Eastern’s households earn lower, and the rest earn higher than that number. As the average is way above the median, it is clear that there are outlier families who earn well above both the median and average.