Town · West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia
Bethany, town, in Brooke County, West Virginia. Bethany had 752 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 781 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,039 (±116). GEOID 5406844.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
752
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 781 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,039 ±116
Median household income
$60,313
±$20,202 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$110,600
±$43,369 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$639
±$49 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Bethany and what county is it in?
Bethany is a town in Brooke County, West Virginia. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,065 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bethany is in the Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 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 Bethany, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 752 people lived in Bethany on July 1, 2025, down 3.0% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 781 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,039 (±116).
| Measure | Bethany | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,039 ±116 | 21,805 | no clear change |
| Households | 161 ±47 | 9,675 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.61 | 2.16 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 171 ±48 | 10,691 | no clear change |
Bethany's population since 2000
From 985 in 2000 to 752 in 2025: down 23.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bethany 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 Bethany?
The median resident of Bethany is 20.9 years old; 10.2% are under 18 and 7.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 23.4%. 7.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Bethany | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.9 ±1.3 | 46.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 10.2% ±5.6 pts | 17.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.8% ±3.8 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Male | 54.7% ±10.8 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 73.6% ±11.4 pts | 92.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 23.4% ±11.0 pts | 1.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±1.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 7.7% ±4.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.2% ±3.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.0% ±3.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 6.2% ±3.9 pts | 17.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 6.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.7% ±2.7 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 50.2% ±12.4 pts | 23.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 33.1% ±10.6 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 76.4% ±14.7 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 16.8% ±11.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Bethany earn?
Half of Bethany's 161 households earn less than $60,313 a year (±$20,202), against $54,316 in Brooke County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $76,918 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Bethany | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,313 ±$20,202 | $54,316 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $69,661 ±$9,904 | $74,922 | – |
| Per capita income | $13,590 ±$2,151 | $34,184 | −$4,381 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.1% ±6.4 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.4% ±13.3 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.6% ±7.7 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.1% ±15.8 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.4% ±4.7 pts | 83.1% | – |
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 Bethany?
Owners occupy 71.4% of Bethany's occupied homes and renters 28.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $110,600 by its owner (±$43,369). The median renter pays $639 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Bethany | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $110,600 ±$43,369 | $141,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $639 ±$49 | $645 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.5% ±19.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,196 ±$263 | $1,112 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.4% ±12.3 pts | 74.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.6% ±12.3 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Housing units | 171 ±48 | 10,691 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±47.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.9% ±9.9 pts | 73.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.7% ±7.2 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±19.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.3% ±4.7 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 43.9% ±13.0 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.0% ±4.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
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 Bethany building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Bethany in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Bethany work and get to work?
63.1% of Bethany's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.9 minutes.
| Measure | Bethany | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.8% ±9.4 pts | 55.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.0% ±9.0 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 63.1% ±18.3 pts | 81.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.7% ±5.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 27.6% ±18.4 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.3% ±2.0 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.9 min ±9.4 | 24.8 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 Bethany?
No census tract lies mostly in Bethany; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Bethany) · Census block assignment files
How does Bethany compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bethany is the 11,495th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 119th-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Bethany 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 | 119th | 230 |
Bethany's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Bethany 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 Bethany?
25 of the 57 figures for Bethany 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 Bethany 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 Bethany.