City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Cheat Lake, WV

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

10,485
Residents
$111,379
Median income
$345,500
Median home
$1,099
Median rent (state)

Cheat Lake - the verdict

Cheat Lake ranks in the 84th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

84th
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
28th
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: Cheat Lake, WV

West Virginia's Cheat Lake is a small town, with 10,485 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Cheat Lake households earn a median of $111,379 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.1%. Typical homes in Cheat Lake are valued around $345,500, and the median resident age is 41.5 years. Educational attainment runs 58.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 69.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in West Virginia run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, West Virginia scores 89.5 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,099 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $220 across West Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 71.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

10,485 residents

Census ACS 2023 - West Virginia

Median Household Income

$111,379 /yr

Poverty 4.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

How does Cheat Lake compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 84% higher than other cities
Home value 71% pricier than other cities
Median rent 28% 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 Cheat Lake'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.

84thIncome percentile

84th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Cheat Lake's home value compares nationally

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

$345,500 29th percentile more affordable than 29% 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%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Cheat Lake $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 - Cheat Lake, WV Cheat Lake, WV's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Cheat Lake, 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 Cheat Lake, WV median $111,379/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%
Cheat Lake, 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 Cheat Lake, WV. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 58.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 69.1%

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

Population
10,485
Median Income
$111,379
Median Home Value
$345,500
Median Age
41.5
Poverty Rate
4.1%
Labor force participation
69.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
58.7%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.5%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.1%
Work from Home
11.6%
Other
1.0%

Based on 5,623 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 Cheat Lake sits in

Cost of Living Index
89.5
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,099/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
71.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in West Virginia

Vienna
10,575 people
St. Albans
10,637 people
Cross Lanes
10,172 people
Bluefield
9,511 people
Bridgeport
9,292 people
Oak Hill
8,057 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Cheat Lake's 10,485 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Milton, FL
10,485 people
Bastrop, TX
10,484 people
Sweetwater, TX
10,484 people
River Grove, IL
10,482 people
White Marsh, MD
10,480 people
Reading, OH
10,490 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Cheat Lake's $111,379 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Yaphank, NY
$111,375 median income
Washoe Valley, NV
$111,371 median income
Clacks Canyon, AZ
$111,365 median income
York, MT
$111,359 median income
Swedeland, PA
$111,356 median income
Aviston, IL
$111,354 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Cheat Lake, 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 Cheat Lake, WV - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.5% White 90.1% Black or African American 3.9% Asian 1.8% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.1% Two or more races 2.9% 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 Cheat Lake 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
Cheat Lake (this city) 10,485 $111,379
Vienna 10,575 $65,211
St. Albans 10,637 $58,788
Cross Lanes 10,172 $62,704
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WV OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Cheat Lake, WV?

What is the population of Cheat Lake, WV? +

10,485 people live in Cheat Lake, WV according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Cheat Lake, WV? +

In Cheat Lake, the typical household earns $111,379 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Cheat Lake? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Cheat Lake; 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 Cheat Lake, WV? +

A typical home in Cheat Lake is worth $345,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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