City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Bethlehem, WV

Bethlehem's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

2,568
Residents
$87,500
Median income
$203,000
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Bethlehem.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-BETHLEHEM-WV · Bethlehem, WV 2,568 pop · income 69th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-HIGH · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 2,568
  • INC-HIGH $87,500
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 69th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Le Roy
  • HOME-MID $203,000
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Le Roy, IL (+ $0 income $)

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 Bethlehem

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Bethlehem on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Bethlehem on ACS population and median household income . 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: 2,568.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $87,500. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Bethlehem - the verdict

Nationally, Bethlehem sits in the 69th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

69th
percentile, household income
44th
percentile, home value
5th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Bethlehem, WV

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 2,568 residents in Bethlehem, a small town within West Virginia. Median household income here is $87,500 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.5%. Home values in Bethlehem run a median of $203,000, and the median resident age is 41.4 years. 44.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier.

Living costs in West Virginia run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts West Virginia at 89.5 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $945 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $220 across West Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Bethlehem'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 population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Bethlehem, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Population change

Is Bethlehem growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -95 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for Bethlehem?

Within West Virginia, the closest population matches are Winfield (2,538 residents, $89,917 income); Inwood (2,605 residents, $82,267 income); Paden City (2,529 residents, $53,871 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are England, AR (2,568 residents); Lapel, IN (2,568 residents); Corinth, NY (2,568 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Bethlehem?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 82.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in Bethlehem?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.5%, 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. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

2,568 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$87,500 /yr

Above median income · poverty 4.5% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · Bethlehem, WV

75/100

4 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.

Cost of living A
89.5 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share B+
44.8%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Poverty rate B-
4.5%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income B-
$87,500

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Bethlehem profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Poverty rate, Household income. Cost of livingBachelor's+ sharePoverty rateHousehold income 75 B+
Bethlehem profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 79/100 (B+) · 44.8%
  • Poverty rate: 69/100 (B-) · 4.5%
  • Household income: 67/100 (B-) · $87,500

How does Bethlehem compare to other US cities?

Bethlehem measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 69% higher than other cities
Home value 44% pricier than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bethlehem against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to West Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

West Virginia-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Bethlehem near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

Among the 390 West Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bethlehem ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bethlehem only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#27 of 330
92nd percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#49 of 337
85th percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#271 of 389
30th percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#23 of 390
94th percentile in West 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 West Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

69thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

69th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Bethlehem's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$203,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 56% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bethlehem $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Bethlehem's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.3×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,066 of 15,516
More affordable than 80% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,825 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.3×, Bethlehem sits in the affordable band: national rank #3,066 of 15,516 and #2,825 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

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

$87,500 Bethlehem, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Bethlehem, WV Bethlehem, WV's median household income ($87,500) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Bethlehem, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Bethlehem, WV median $87,500/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bethlehem, WV median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Bethlehem, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 44.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,568
Median Income
$87,500
Median Home Value
$203,000
Median Age
41.4
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Labor force participation
57.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,500 residents2,550 residents2,600 residents2,650 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,615 residents 2,520 residents ▼ -3.6%
Bethlehem's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 2,615 residents
2021 2,597 residents
2022 2,571 residents
2023 2,565 residents
2024 2,550 residents
2025 2,520 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 9
2021 6
2022 8
2023 1
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.5%
Carpool
6.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
9.5%

Based on 1,119 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

West Virginia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $220

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across West Virginia at $220 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $38 ).

These are West Virginia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Bethlehem. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

West Virginia's BEA cost-of-living index is 89.5 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Bethlehem is $945/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to West Virginia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.2 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a West Virginia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Bethlehem sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Bethlehem compares to similar-size West 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.

City Population Median Household Income
Bethlehem (this city) 2,568 $87,500
Winfield 2,538 $89,917
Inwood 2,605 $82,267
Paden City 2,529 $53,871
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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