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Place dossier plate
SheetVA-WEST-POINT-VA · West Point, VA 3,439 pop · income 65th pct · 2 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around West Point
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Point on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Somerville · lowest
31,063
Somerville · lowest
31,063 median HH income
26.6% of the leader · rank #1
West Point · this city
83,475
West Point · this city
83,475 median HH income
71.5% of the leader · rank #2
Franklin · near
83,480
Franklin · near
83,480 median HH income
71.6% of the leader · rank #3
Desert Aire · near
83,482
Desert Aire · near
83,482 median HH income
71.6% of the leader · rank #4
Oak Island · near
83,483
Oak Island · near
83,483 median HH income
71.6% of the leader · rank #5
Louisville · near
83,485
Louisville · near
83,485 median HH income
71.6% of the leader · rank #6
Fetters Hot S… · highest
116,667
Fetters Hot S… · highest
116,667 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for West Point on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,439.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
West Point - the verdict
Nationally, West Point sits in the 65th percentile for household income and the 70th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
65th
percentile, household income
57th
percentile, home value
62nd
percentile, median rent
70th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: West Point, VA
Virginia's West Point is a small town, with 3,439 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $83,475 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.4%. Home values in West Point run a median of $256,600, and the median resident age is 43.4 years. Educational attainment runs 31.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 68.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 21 residential building permits were authorized in West Point (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. West Point reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 867.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Virginia scores 101.1 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,369 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Virginia's average monthly utility costs around $235 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 out of 100 (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of West Point's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to housing and income to reported crime to comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For West Point, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for West Point?
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 31.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
How far does income reach against housing in West Point?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Which cities make useful reference points for West Point?
Within Virginia, the closest population matches are Dahlgren (3,417 residents, $106,071 income); Clifton Forge (3,483 residents, $33,107 income); Gloucester Courthouse (3,509 residents, $88,493 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Dennis Port, MA (3,439 residents); Somerville, TN (3,439 residents); Sleepy Eye, MN (3,438 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What can 2 Census tracts reveal inside West Point?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in West Point?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 867.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 62% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
727.5
Violent rate
139.9
Total reported rate
867.4
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is West Point growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +172 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +5.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 21 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+5.0%
2025 estimate
3,595
2020 estimate
3,423
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in West Point?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 81.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
15.2%
Drive alone
81.7%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,817 workers age 16+.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average
C
City profile score · West Point, VA
59/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate B+
3.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income C+
$83,475
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime C+
140 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
31.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living F
101.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
West Point profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 76/100 (B+) · 3.4%
Household income: 63/100 (C+) · $83,475
Violent crime: 61/100 (C+) · 140 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 60/100 (C+) · 31.0%
Cost of living: 35/100 (F) · 101.1 index
Where West Point sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
West Point's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - West Point highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
West Point, VA (this city): home $256,600, crime 867/100k
Somerville, TN : home $301,400, crime 1,461/100k
Sleepy Eye, MN : home $138,500, crime 658/100k
Wallace, NC : home $192,800, crime 3,608/100k
Alma, GA : home $92,300, crime 4,989/100k
Clifton Forge, VA : home $106,900, crime 1,767/100k
Altavista, VA : home $135,000, crime 3,227/100k
Blackstone, VA : home $185,600, crime 2,283/100k
Chincoteague, VA : home $329,200, crime 1,231/100k
How does West Point compare to other US cities?
West Point measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income65% higher than other cities
Home value57% pricier than other cities
Median rent62% pricier than other cities
Safety70% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Virginia and the picture shifts: West Point ranks #20 of 117 Virginia cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares West Point against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Virginia-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places West Point near the bottom of Virginia's cities
Among the 619 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Point ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Point only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#238 of 558
57th percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 619
0th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#281 of 567
50th percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#379 of 616
38th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#273 of 618
56th percentile in Virginia
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
65th percentile nationally for median household income · 70th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
West Point's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
West Point's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How West Point's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$256,60043rd percentilemore affordable than 43% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
West Point's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,069 of 15,516
More affordable than 54% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,917 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.1×, West Point sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,069 of 15,516 and #5,917 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$83,475West Point, VA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context West Point, VA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for West Point, VA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)31.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)68.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,439
Median Income
$83,475
Median Home Value
$256,600
Median Age
43.4
Poverty Rate
3.4%
Labor force participation
68.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
867.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
139.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
727.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
West Point's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,423 residents
2021
3,443 residents
2022
3,443 residents
2023
3,545 residents
2024
3,544 residents
2025
3,595 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
21
housing units authorized
Single-Family
21
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
7
7
0
$1.2M
2020
15
15
0
$2.6M
2021
17
17
0
$3.0M
2022
28
19
9
$4.0M
2023
8
8
0
$1.8M
2024
21
21
0
$3.9M
Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
81.7%
Carpool
2.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
15.2%
Based on 1,817 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Virginia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Virginia at $235 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Virginia statewide averages, not a meter reading for West Point. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Virginia's BEA cost-of-living index is 101.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around West Point is $1,369/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Virginia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Virginia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county West Point sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How West Point compares to similar-size Virginia cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.