City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Valley Grove, WV

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

448
Residents
$54,028
Median income
$136,700
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Valley Grove.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-VALLEY-GROVE-WV · Valley Grove, WV 448 pop · income 26th pct

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 448
  • INC-MID $54,028
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 26th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Clovis
  • HOME-LOW $136,700
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Clovis, NM (+ $1 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 Valley Grove

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Valley Grove 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 Valley Grove 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: 448.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $54,028. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Valley Grove - the verdict

Valley Grove ranks in the 26th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

26th
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: Valley Grove, WV

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 448 residents in Valley Grove, a small town within West Virginia. Households in Valley Grove report a median income of $54,028 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.7%. Home values in Valley Grove run a median of $136,700, and the median resident age is 32.3 years. About 11.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Valley Grove (No Permits), per Census BPS data.

Living costs in West Virginia run below the national norm: the state registers 89.5 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $945 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts West Virginia's average monthly utility costs around $220 (state average). The average commute for Valley Grove workers runs 22.5 minutes, with 94.4% driving alone and 2.2% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 49.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

A decision-led reading path

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

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Valley Grove?

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 Racine (451 residents, $73,724 income); Gatewood (443 residents, $73,914 income); Dupont (455 residents, $39,286 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Ravenden, AR (448 residents); Paloma, CA (448 residents); Maynard, IA (448 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 →

Question 2

What does the journey to work look like in Valley Grove?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 94.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 22.5 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. 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.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 3

Is Valley Grove growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -14 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -4.9% 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 →

4. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Valley Grove?

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 2.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 8.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

448 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$54,028 /yr

Below median income · poverty 8.7% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · Valley Grove, WV

43/100

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.

Poverty rate D
8.7%

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

Household income F
$54,028

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

Bachelor's+ share F
11.9%

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).

Valley Grove profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Poverty rate, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingPoverty rateHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 43 D
Valley Grove profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Poverty rate: 45/100 (D) · 8.7%
  • Household income: 26/100 (F) · $54,028
  • Bachelor's+ share: 12/100 (F) · 11.9%

How does Valley Grove compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 26% 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 Valley Grove 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 Valley Grove near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

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

Median Household Income
#145 of 330
56th percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#107 of 337
68th percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#219 of 389
43rd percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#243 of 390
38th 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.

26thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

26th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Valley Grove's home value compares nationally

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

$136,700 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. Valley Grove $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

Valley Grove's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.5×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,155 of 15,516
More affordable than 73% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,733 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.5×, Valley Grove sits in the affordable band: national rank #4,155 of 15,516 and #3,733 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

$54,028 Valley Grove, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Valley Grove, WV Valley Grove, WV's median household income ($54,028) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Valley Grove, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Valley Grove, WV median $54,028/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%
Valley Grove, 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 Valley Grove, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.3%

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

Population
448
Median Income
$54,028
Median Home Value
$136,700
Median Age
32.3
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Labor force participation
50.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.9%

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
265 residents270 residents275 residents280 residents285 residents 202020212022202320242025 283 residents 269 residents ▼ -4.9%
Valley Grove's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 283 residents
2021 280 residents
2022 275 residents
2023 273 residents
2024 272 residents
2025 269 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
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.5 minutes
Drive Alone
94.4%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
2.2%

Based on 180 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 Valley Grove. 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 Valley Grove 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 Valley Grove sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Valley Grove 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
Valley Grove (this city) 448 $54,028
Racine 451 $73,724
Gatewood 443 $73,914
Dupont 455 $39,286
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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