Town · West Virginia
Fort Gay, West Virginia
Fort Gay, town, in Wayne County, West Virginia. Fort Gay had 654 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 675 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 437 (±172). GEOID 5428516.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
654
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 675 · ACS 2020-2024: 437 ±172
Median household income
not published
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$62,300
±$8,071 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$726
±$167 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Fort Gay and what county is it in?
Fort Gay is a town in Wayne County, West Virginia. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 818 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fort Gay is in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 8 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 Fort Gay, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 654 people lived in Fort Gay on July 1, 2025, down 3.5% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 675 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 437 (±172).
| Measure | Fort Gay | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 437 ±172 | 38,164 | −454 |
| Households | 212 ±76 | 15,762 | −143 |
| Average household size | 1.96 ±0.31 | 2.41 | −0.55 |
| Housing units | 354 ±107 | 18,263 | no clear change |
Fort Gay's population since 2000
From 819 in 2000 to 654 in 2025: down 20.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fort Gay 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 Fort Gay?
The median resident of Fort Gay is 44.0 years old; 15.3% are under 18 and 22.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.5%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.5%.
| Measure | Fort Gay | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.0 ±11.3 | 44.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.3% ±8.9 pts | 20.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.4% ±10.5 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Male | 53.3% ±6.5 pts | 49.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.5% ±4.1 pts | 95.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.5% ±4.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.1% ±5.1 pts | 8.0% | – |
| With a disability | 30.0% ±11.2 pts | 22.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.0% ±4.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.4% ±11.1 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.2% ±5.6 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.4% ±11.6 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.9% ±10.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Fort Gay earn?
The Census Bureau does not publish a median household income for Fort Gay: too few households were sampled.
| Measure | Fort Gay | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean household income | $40,433 ±$9,493 | $78,850 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,516 ±$4,738 | $32,910 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 38.0% ±15.6 pts | 14.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 34.3% ±37.1 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 53.8% ±17.2 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.7% ±9.5 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.4% ±12.4 pts | 85.5% | – |
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 Fort Gay?
Owners occupy 42.9% of Fort Gay's occupied homes and renters 57.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $62,300 by its owner (±$8,071). The median renter pays $726 a month including utilities, and 43.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fort Gay | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $62,300 ±$8,071 | $127,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $726 ±$167 | $915 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.8% ±19.7 pts | 30.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,417 ±$768 | $1,176 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42.9% ±14.6 pts | 78.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 57.1% ±14.6 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Housing units | 354 ±107 | 18,263 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 13.3% ±19.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.6% ±13.5 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 52.3% ±15.0 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 24.6% ±14.7 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.1% ±6.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.9% ±7.9 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 22.2% ±13.8 pts | 9.0% | – |
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 do people in Fort Gay work and get to work?
90.4% of Fort Gay's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.9 minutes.
| Measure | Fort Gay | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 38.9% ±14.2 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±22.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.4% ±12.9 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.5% ±12.4 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±22.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±22.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.1% ±3.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.9 min ±11.3 | 25.3 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 Fort Gay?
No census tract lies mostly in Fort Gay; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 208Wayne County | 3,403 | $44,375 |
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 Fort Gay) · Census block assignment files
How does Fort Gay compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fort Gay is the 12,115th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 133rd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Fort Gay 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 | 133rd | 230 |
Fort Gay's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Fort Gay 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 Fort Gay?
25 of the 56 figures for Fort Gay 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 Fort Gay 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 Fort Gay.