City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Bolivar, WV

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bolivar - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,317
Residents
$81,641
Median income
$253,700
Median home
$1,251
Median rent (state)

Bolivar - the verdict

Bolivar ranks in the 63rd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

63rd
percentile, household income
56th
percentile, home value
41st
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: Bolivar, WV

West Virginia's Bolivar is a small town, with 1,317 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $81,641 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.5%. Bolivar's housing stock carries a median value of $253,700, and the median resident age is 39.5 years. About 40.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 72.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Bolivar (No Permits), per Census BPS data.

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 $1,251 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $220 across West Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 47.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

1,317 residents

Census ACS 2023 - West Virginia

Median Household Income

$81,641 /yr

Poverty 2.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

How does Bolivar compare to other US cities?

Where Bolivar sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 63% higher than other cities
Home value 56% pricier than other cities
Median rent 41% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bolivar's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in West Virginia, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

63rdIncome percentile

63rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Bolivar's home value compares nationally

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

$253,700 44th percentile more affordable than 44% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Bolivar $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bolivar, WV Bolivar, WV's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bolivar, WV-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bolivar, WV median $81,641/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%
Bolivar, WV's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bolivar, WV. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 40.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 72.1%

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

Population
1,317
Median Income
$81,641
Median Home Value
$253,700
Median Age
39.5
Poverty Rate
2.5%
Labor force participation
72.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.6%

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
960 residents980 residents1,000 residents1,020 residents1,040 residents1,060 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,037 residents 983 residents ▼ -5.2%
Bolivar's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.4%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
16.3%

Based on 778 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for West Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$72
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$38
avg/month
Total Utilities
$220
estimated/month

Estimates reflect West Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a West Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bolivar sits in

Cost of Living Index
89.5
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,251/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
47.8 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in West Virginia

Stanaford
1,327 people
Rainelle
1,334 people
Shenandoah Junction
1,339 people
Sistersville
1,340 people
MacArthur
1,287 people
Barrackville
1,362 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bolivar's 1,317 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bear Creek, AL
1,317 people
Lawtey, FL
1,317 people
Punta Rassa, FL
1,317 people
Buckeystown, MD
1,317 people
Loving, NM
1,317 people
Dortches, NC
1,317 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bolivar's $81,641 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

North St. Paul, MN
$81,641 median income
Canton, GA
$81,642 median income
Summit Station, PA
$81,635 median income
Perry, GA
$81,648 median income
Carlton, MT
$81,648 median income
Waukesha, WI
$81,651 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bolivar, WV Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bolivar, WV - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 85.9% 10.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.7% White 85.9% Black or African American 2.2% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.2% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bolivar compares to nearby West Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bolivar (this city) 1,317 $81,641
Stanaford 1,327 $46,944
Rainelle 1,334 $36,875
Shenandoah Junction 1,339 $109,048
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WV Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bolivar, WV?

What is the population of Bolivar, WV? +

The population of Bolivar, WV stands at 1,317 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bolivar, WV? +

Median annual household income in Bolivar runs $81,641, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bolivar? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bolivar; the closest available measure is the West Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 89.5 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within West Virginia vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Bolivar, WV? +

Homes in Bolivar carry a median value of $253,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.