City · West Virginia
Sistersville, West Virginia
Sistersville, city, in Tyler County, West Virginia. Sistersville had 1,319 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 6.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,412 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,409 (±243). GEOID 5474380.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,319
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,412 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,409 ±243
Median household income
$45,500
±$15,867 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$95,300
±$6,283 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$812
±$84 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Sistersville and what county is it in?
Sistersville is a city in Tyler County, West Virginia. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 2,690 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sistersville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,319 people lived in Sistersville on July 1, 2025, down 6.3% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 1,412 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,409 (±243).
| Measure | Sistersville | Tyler County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,409 ±243 | 8,064 | no clear change |
| Households | 590 ±91 | 3,296 | +122 |
| Average household size | 2.38 ±0.34 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 752 ±108 | 4,110 | no clear change |
Sistersville's population since 2000
From 1,588 in 2000 to 1,319 in 2025: down 16.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sistersville 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 Sistersville?
The median resident of Sistersville is 41.2 years old; 23.6% are under 18 and 16.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.9%.
| Measure | Sistersville | Tyler County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.2 ±8.4 | 48.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.6% ±6.1 pts | 19.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.7% ±6.0 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Male | 45.2% ±6.0 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.4% ±3.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.7% ±4.3 pts | 93.9% | −6.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±4.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.9% ±4.4 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7% ±3.9 pts | 8.8% | – |
| With a disability | 21.9% ±5.5 pts | 24.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.4% ±2.9 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.8% ±3.1 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.6% ±6.0 pts | 15.9% | −9.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.2% ±4.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.6% ±5.3 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.6% ±4.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Sistersville earn?
Half of Sistersville's 590 households earn less than $45,500 a year (±$15,867), against $63,693 in Tyler County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $48,886 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 40.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sistersville | Tyler County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,500 ±$15,867 | $63,693 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $58,099 ±$10,903 | $84,399 | – |
| Per capita income | $23,799 ±$4,623 | $35,594 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 40.8% ±10.8 pts | 20.2% | +18.6 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 65.7% ±20.3 pts | 31.8% | +41.2 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.2% ±10.8 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.3% ±8.7 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.9% ±8.9 pts | 86.2% | – |
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 Sistersville?
Owners occupy 71.4% of Sistersville's occupied homes and renters 28.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $95,300 by its owner (±$6,283). The median renter pays $812 a month including utilities, and 56.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sistersville | Tyler County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $95,300 ±$6,283 | $121,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $812 ±$84 | $748 | +$258 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 56.0% ±17.1 pts | 42.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $946 ±$92 | $1,112 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.4% ±8.8 pts | 84.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.6% ±8.8 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Housing units | 752 ±108 | 4,110 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.1% ±8.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 79.8% ±5.0 pts | 80.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.1% ±3.6 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.9% ±4.2 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 51.3% ±6.9 pts | 28.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 16.9% ±10.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
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 Sistersville building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Sistersville in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Sistersville work and get to work?
64.9% of Sistersville's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 12.6%.
| Measure | Sistersville | Tyler County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.7% ±7.9 pts | 45.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.6% ±5.6 pts | 7.0% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 64.9% ±11.5 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.6% ±4.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 14.9% ±9.3 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.0% ±4.8 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.5 min ±9.1 | 31.9 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 Sistersville?
No census tract lies mostly in Sistersville; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9618Tyler County | 3,100 | $51,932 |
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 Sistersville) · Census block assignment files
How does Sistersville compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sistersville is the 9,252nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 82nd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Sistersville ranks 100th 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 | 82nd | 230 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 84th | 102 |
| Residents per square mile | 13th | 146 |
| Median household income | 100th | 138 |
| Per capita income | 125th | 144 |
| Median home value | 117th | 142 |
| Median gross rent | 70th | 123 |
| Poverty rate | 6th | 111 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 102nd | 135 |
| Median age | 89th | 146 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70th | 146 |
| Travel time to work | 22nd | 145 |
Sistersville's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Sistersville 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 Sistersville?
17 of the 57 figures for Sistersville 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 Sistersville 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 Sistersville.