City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Terra Alta, WV

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Terra Alta — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,992
Residents
$50,035
Median income
$95,900
Median home
$945
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Terra Alta, WV

Terra Alta is a city in West Virginia with a population of 1,992 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $50,035 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 25.2%. Typical homes in Terra Alta are valued around $95,900, and the median resident age is 29.8 years. About 6.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 53.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, West Virginia registers 89.5 (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $945 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $220 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.2 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

1,992 residents

Census ACS 2023 — West Virginia

Median Household Income

$50,035 /yr

Poverty 25.2%

Cost of Living Index

89.5 (US=100)

Below Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Terra Alta compare to other US cities?

Where Terra Alta sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 20% higher than other cities
Home value 8% pricier than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Terra Alta against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Terra Alta, WV Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Terra Alta, WV. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Terra Alta, WV — median $50,035/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Terra Alta, WV — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.9%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 25.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.3%

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

Population
1,992
Median Income
$50,035
Median Home Value
$95,900
Median Age
29.8
Poverty Rate
25.2%
Labor force participation
53.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.9%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.7%
Carpool
16.4%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
3.7%

Based on 812 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for West Virginia — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$72
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$38
avg/month
Total Utilities
$220
estimated/month

Estimates reflect West Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

West Virginia state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
89.5
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$945/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
49.2 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Terra Alta, WV Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Terra Alta, WV — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Terra Alta compares to nearby West Virginia cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Terra Alta) plus the nearest peer cities in West Virginia, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WV

Terra Alta

50.03% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$50,035
Brackets
2
Selected

WV

Star City

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Selected

WV

Nutter Fort

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Selected

WV

Crab Orchard

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WV NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Terra Alta, WV?

What is the population of Terra Alta, WV? +

Terra Alta, WV has a population of 1,992 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Terra Alta, WV? +

The median household income in Terra Alta is $50,035 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Terra Alta? +

Terra Alta has a cost of living index of 89.5 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Terra Alta, WV? +

The median home value in Terra Alta is $95,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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