Town · West Virginia
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown, town, in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Shepherdstown had 1,522 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,531 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,460 (±250). GEOID 5473468.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,522
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,531 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,460 ±250
Median household income
$63,750
±$24,257 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$485,200
±$102,338 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$1,201
±$181 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Shepherdstown and what county is it in?
Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 3,818 residents per square mile in 2020.
Shepherdstown is in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 23 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 Shepherdstown, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,522 people lived in Shepherdstown on July 1, 2025, down 0.5% since 2020, a smaller fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 1,531 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,460 (±250).
| Measure | Shepherdstown | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,460 ±250 | 59,260 | no clear change |
| Households | 313 ±103 | 22,804 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.92 ±0.32 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 337 ±104 | 24,774 | no clear change |
Shepherdstown's population since 2000
From 803 in 2000 to 1,522 in 2025: up 89.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shepherdstown 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 Shepherdstown?
The median resident of Shepherdstown is 21.8 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 82.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 12.4%.
| Measure | Shepherdstown | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.8 ±0.8 | 41.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 6.0% ±4.2 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.5% ±5.3 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Male | 45.6% ±6.2 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% ±2.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 82.6% ±5.6 pts | 79.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 12.4% ±5.3 pts | 5.6% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.6 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.5% ±2.8 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.3% ±3.5 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.7% ±2.5 pts | 9.7% | – |
| With a disability | 8.3% ±3.7 pts | 12.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 6.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.2% ±3.1 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 71.2% ±12.3 pts | 33.9% | +40.4 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 35.4% ±12.0 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.7% ±10.7 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.9% ±2.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
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 Shepherdstown earn?
Half of Shepherdstown's 313 households earn less than $63,750 a year (±$24,257), against $98,806 in Jefferson County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $56,406 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Shepherdstown | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,750 ±$24,257 | $98,806 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $84,173 ±$17,663 | $120,421 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,780 ±$4,697 | $46,514 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.2% ±5.1 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±35.3 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.8% ±5.8 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±11.3 pts | 96.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.8% ±6.9 pts | 92.4% | – |
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 Shepherdstown?
Owners occupy 73.2% of Shepherdstown's occupied homes and renters 26.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $485,200 by its owner (±$102,338). The median renter pays $1,201 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Shepherdstown | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $485,200 ±$102,338 | $350,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,201 ±$181 | $1,108 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.9% ±29.6 pts | 32.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,045 ±$825 | $1,811 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.2% ±13.3 pts | 80.3% | +23.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.8% ±13.3 pts | 19.7% | – |
| Housing units | 337 ±104 | 24,774 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±15.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±34.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.2% ±13.4 pts | 77.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.6% ±4.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.2% ±5.0 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 46.9% ±15.2 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.7% ±7.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
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 many new homes is Shepherdstown building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Shepherdstown in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.7 per 1,000 residents against 2.2 across West Virginia.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Shepherdstown work and get to work?
51.7% of Shepherdstown's workers drive alone and 20.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 16.9 minutes.
| Measure | Shepherdstown | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.9% ±10.1 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.9% ±10.0 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 51.7% ±12.7 pts | 69.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 27.4% ±13.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 20.0% ±9.2 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.9 min ±3.1 | 37.1 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 Shepherdstown?
No census tract lies mostly in Shepherdstown; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9722.04Jefferson County | 2,789 | $105,524 |
| Tract 9722.01Jefferson County | 5,243 | $110,945 |
| Tract 9722.03Jefferson County | 2,122 | $113,696 |
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 Shepherdstown) · Census block assignment files
How does Shepherdstown compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shepherdstown is the 8,681st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 68th-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Shepherdstown ranks 45th of 138 places in West Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 68th | 230 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 14th | 102 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st | 146 |
| Median household income | 45th | 138 |
| Per capita income | 128th | 144 |
| Median home value | 1st | 142 |
| Median gross rent | 8th | 123 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1st | 135 |
| Median age | 145th | 146 |
| Owner-occupied share | 61st | 146 |
| Work from home | 3rd | 53 |
| Travel time to work | 130th | 145 |
Shepherdstown's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Shepherdstown 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 Shepherdstown?
24 of the 57 figures for Shepherdstown 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 Shepherdstown 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 Shepherdstown.