City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Northfork, WV

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

271
Residents
$47,143
Median income
$35,800
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Northfork.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-NORTHFORK-WV · Northfork, WV 271 pop · income 15th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 271
  • INC-MID $47,143
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 15th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Larrabee
  • HOME-LOW $35,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Larrabee, IA (+ $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 Northfork

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Northfork 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 Northfork 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: 271.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $47,143. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Northfork - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Northfork places in the 15th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

15th
percentile, household income
0th
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: Northfork, WV

West Virginia's Northfork is a small town, with 271 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Northfork households earn a median of $47,143 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 26.0%. Typical homes in Northfork are valued around $35,800, and the median resident age is 43.2 years. About 2.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 30.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).

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. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in West Virginia run around $220, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Northfork workers runs 25.1 minutes, with 52.9% driving alone and 22.1% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.2 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

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

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

1. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Northfork?

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.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 0.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 26.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 2

Is Northfork growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -29 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -12.6% 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.

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.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 3

What does the journey to work look like in Northfork?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 52.9%. The reported mean trip to work is 25.1 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Compare commute patterns →

4. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Northfork?

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.

Within West Virginia, the closest population matches are Bradshaw (274 residents, $21,808 income); Durbin (275 residents, $44,500 income); Flemington (265 residents, $56,607 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Geiger, AL (271 residents); Summers, AR (271 residents); Arcadia, KS (271 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

271 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$47,143 /yr

Low income · poverty 26.0% (Highest-decile poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · Northfork, WV

28/100

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.

Household income F
$47,143

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

Poverty rate F
26.0%

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

Bachelor's+ share F
2.8%

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

Violent crime N/A
N/A

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

Northfork profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingHousehold incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ share 28 F
Northfork profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Household income: 16/100 (F) · $47,143
  • Poverty rate: 5/100 (F) · 26.0%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 2.8%

How does Northfork compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 15% higher than other cities
Home value 0% 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 Northfork 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 Northfork near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

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

Median Household Income
#200 of 330
39th percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#332 of 337
1st percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#69 of 389
82nd percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#342 of 390
12th 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.

15thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

15th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Northfork's home value compares nationally

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

$35,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 100% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $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. Northfork $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

Northfork's home-value-to-income ratio: 0.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#13 of 15,516
More affordable than 100% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#13 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 0.8×, Northfork sits in the affordable band: national rank #13 of 15,516 and #13 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

$47,143 Northfork, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Northfork, WV Northfork, WV's median household income ($47,143) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Northfork, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Northfork, WV median $47,143/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%
Northfork, 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 Northfork, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 2.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 26.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 30.6%

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

Population
271
Median Income
$47,143
Median Home Value
$35,800
Median Age
43.2
Poverty Rate
26.0%
Labor force participation
30.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
2.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
190 residents200 residents210 residents220 residents230 residents240 residents 202020212022202320242025 231 residents 202 residents ▼ -12.6%
Northfork's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 231 residents
2021 224 residents
2022 215 residents
2023 211 residents
2024 206 residents
2025 202 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 0
2020 0
2021 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
25.1 minutes
Drive Alone
52.9%
Carpool
25.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
22.1%

Based on 68 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 Northfork. 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 Northfork 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 Northfork sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Northfork 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
Northfork (this city) 271 $47,143
Bradshaw 274 $21,808
Durbin 275 $44,500
Flemington 265 $56,607
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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