City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Petersburg, WV

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

3,172
Residents
$48,286
Median income
$136,100
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Petersburg.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-PETERSBURG-WV · Petersburg, WV 3,172 pop · income 17th pct · 3 tracts

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 3,172
  • INC-MID $48,286
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 17th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ West Burlington
  • HOME-LOW $136,100
  • BOOK-FEW 3 tracts

Nearest income peer: West Burlington, IA (+ $3 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 Petersburg

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Petersburg 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 Petersburg 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: 3,172.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $48,286. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Petersburg - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Petersburg places in the 17th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

17th
percentile, household income
23rd
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: Petersburg, WV

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 3,172 residents in Petersburg, a small town within West Virginia. The typical household in Petersburg brings in $48,286 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 9.1%. Home values in Petersburg run a median of $136,100, and the median resident age is 39.8 years. About 23.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 55.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Petersburg (Construction Slowdown), down 98% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA puts Petersburg's yearly average temperature at 54.7°F with 40.3 inches of precipitation per year.

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. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts West Virginia's average monthly utility costs around $220 (state average). 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 Petersburg'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 within-city variation to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to schools and households to work and mobility to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

Question 1

What can 3 Census tracts reveal inside Petersburg?

PlainCities matches 3 Census tracts to this city.

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

Explore Petersburg's tract profiles →

2. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Petersburg?

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 Culloden (3,158 residents, $89,519 income); Blennerhassett (3,229 residents, $85,619 income); Ripley (3,066 residents, $35,120 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Cuba, MO (3,172 residents); Annetta, TX (3,172 residents); Country Club, MO (3,171 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 →

3. Climate and hazard context

What physical conditions frame life in Petersburg?

The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.

NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 54.7°F, with 40.3 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for West Virginia is 49.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.

Read the source boundaries →

4. Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Petersburg?

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 23.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

See how the family ranking is built →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Petersburg?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 89.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Drive alone
89.7%
Work from home
2.2%
Public transit
0.0%

City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,326 workers age 16+.

Compare commute patterns →

Population change

Is Petersburg growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -16 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.

2020 estimate
2,298
2025 estimate
2,282
Period change
-0.7%

Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.

See the national growth ranking →

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Petersburg?

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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 9.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Value / income
2.8×
Home value
$136,100
Household income
$48,286

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

3,172 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$48,286 /yr

Low income · poverty 9.1% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · Petersburg, WV

47/100

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 D
23.7%

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

Poverty rate D
9.1%

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

Household income F
$48,286

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).

Petersburg 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 47 D
Petersburg profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 45/100 (D) · 23.7%
  • Poverty rate: 43/100 (D) · 9.1%
  • Household income: 18/100 (F) · $48,286

How does Petersburg compare to other US cities?

Here's how Petersburg stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 17% higher than other cities
Home value 23% 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 Petersburg 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 Petersburg near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

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

Median Household Income
#189 of 330
43rd percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#108 of 337
68th percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#217 of 389
44th percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#101 of 390
74th 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.

17thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

17th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Petersburg's home value compares nationally

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

$136,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 77% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Petersburg $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

Petersburg's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,687 of 15,516
More affordable than 63% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,926 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.8×, Petersburg sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,687 of 15,516 and #4,926 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

$48,286 Petersburg, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Petersburg, WV Petersburg, WV's median household income ($48,286) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Petersburg, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Petersburg, WV median $48,286/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%
Petersburg, 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 Petersburg, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 23.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.4%

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

Population
3,172
Median Income
$48,286
Median Home Value
$136,100
Median Age
39.8
Poverty Rate
9.1%
Labor force participation
55.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
23.7%

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.7°F
Annual Precipitation
40.3"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,270 residents2,280 residents2,290 residents2,300 residents2,310 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,298 residents 2,282 residents ▼ -0.7%
Petersburg's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 2,298 residents
2021 2,291 residents
2022 2,281 residents
2023 2,286 residents
2024 2,276 residents
2025 2,282 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 41
2020 1
2021 8
2022 8
2023 7
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 98% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
89.7%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
2.2%
Other
2.6%

Based on 1,326 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 Petersburg. 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 Petersburg 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 Petersburg sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Petersburg 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
Petersburg (this city) 3,172 $48,286
Culloden 3,158 $89,519
Blennerhassett 3,229 $85,619
Ripley 3,066 $35,120
NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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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