Town · West Virginia
Athens, West Virginia
Athens, town, in Mercer County, West Virginia. Athens had 1,184 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.1% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 1,222; the 2020 Census counted 962 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,494 (±394). GEOID 5403292.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,184
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 962 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,494 ±394
Median household income
$56,667
±$28,384 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$168,100
±$38,246 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$975
±$99 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Athens and what county is it in?
Athens is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 2,387 residents per square mile in 2020.
Athens is in the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Athens, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,184 people lived in Athens on July 1, 2025, down 3.1% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Athens, 1,222, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 962: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,494 (±394).
| Measure | Athens | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,494 ±394 | 58,563 | no clear change |
| Households | 348 ±105 | 24,224 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.69 ±0.70 | 2.36 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 515 ±152 | 29,345 | no clear change |
Athens's population since 2000
From 1,102 in 2000 to 1,184 in 2025: up 7.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Athens as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Athens?
The median resident of Athens is 21.1 years old; 17.7% are under 18 and 12.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.8%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 4.1%.
| Measure | Athens | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.1 ±1.0 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.7% ±7.3 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.2% ±5.1 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Male | 48.1% ±13.3 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% ±2.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.8% ±6.0 pts | 88.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±4.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±3.6 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5% ±3.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.3% ±4.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±1.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 16.5% ±8.0 pts | 23.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±3.5 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.3% ±1.4 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 47.8% ±11.1 pts | 22.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 17.2% ±8.5 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 77.9% ±6.8 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.6% ±6.0 pts | 4.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Athens earn?
Half of Athens's 348 households earn less than $56,667 a year (±$28,384), against $53,210 in Mercer County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $65,637 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Athens | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,667 ±$28,384 | $53,210 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,275 ±$29,269 | $71,510 | – |
| Per capita income | $18,772 ±$8,043 | $30,362 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.4% ±11.1 pts | 16.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.9% ±14.4 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 19.0% ±10.6 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.6% ±2.8 pts | 91.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.2% ±7.9 pts | 86.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Athens?
Owners occupy 74.1% of Athens's occupied homes and renters 25.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,100 by its owner (±$38,246). The median renter pays $975 a month including utilities, and 65.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Athens | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $168,100 ±$38,246 | $121,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $975 ±$99 | $810 | +$159 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 65.2% ±32.3 pts | 38.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,326 ±$208 | $1,151 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.1% ±10.9 pts | 72.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.9% ±10.9 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Housing units | 515 ±152 | 29,345 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 31.3% ±20.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.4% ±17.7 pts | 66.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 35.3% ±13.8 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.6% ±9.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Athens building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Athens in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.8 per 1,000 residents against 2.2 across West Virginia.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Athens work and get to work?
45.6% of Athens's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.6 minutes.
| Measure | Athens | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 38.1% ±7.2 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% ±7.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 45.6% ±14.2 pts | 81.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 20.8% ±13.9 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 17.1% ±14.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.6% ±8.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.6 min ±5.4 | 24.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Athens?
No census tract lies mostly in Athens; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 11Mercer County | 6,130 | $72,429 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Athens) · Census block assignment files
How does Athens compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Athens is the 9,647th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 94th-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Athens is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 94th | 230 |
Athens's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Athens with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Athens?
22 of the 57 figures for Athens on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Athens are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Athens.