City · West Virginia
Wellsburg, West Virginia
Wellsburg, city, in Brooke County, West Virginia. Wellsburg had 2,255 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 7.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,450 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,203 (±348). GEOID 5485324.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,255
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,450 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,203 ±348
Median household income
$42,868
±$3,900 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$104,500
±$16,876 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$624
±$21 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Wellsburg and what county is it in?
Wellsburg is a city in Brooke County, West Virginia. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 2,526 residents per square mile in 2020.
Wellsburg is in the Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 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 Wellsburg, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,255 people lived in Wellsburg on July 1, 2025, down 7.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 2,450 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,203 (±348).
| Measure | Wellsburg | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,203 ±348 | 21,805 | −392 |
| Households | 1,012 ±132 | 9,675 | −371 |
| Average household size | 2.18 ±0.23 | 2.16 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,142 ±117 | 10,691 | −419 |
Wellsburg's population since 2000
From 2,891 in 2000 to 2,255 in 2025: down 22.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wellsburg 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 Wellsburg?
The median resident of Wellsburg is 55.6 years old; 12.0% are under 18 and 37.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.0%.
| Measure | Wellsburg | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.6 ±7.2 | 46.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.0% ±5.4 pts | 17.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 37.2% ±10.5 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±6.2 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% ±1.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.1% ±2.8 pts | 92.4% | −5.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.4 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±4.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 26.1% ±6.4 pts | 17.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.1% ±4.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.4% ±3.6 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.2% ±6.4 pts | 23.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.0% ±4.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.1% ±10.2 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.8% ±3.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Wellsburg earn?
Half of Wellsburg's 1,012 households earn less than $42,868 a year (±$3,900), against $54,316 in Brooke County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $49,395 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wellsburg | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,868 ±$3,900 | $54,316 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,684 ±$12,992 | $74,922 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,688 ±$6,189 | $34,184 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.3% ±9.3 pts | 13.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 34.1% ±33.8 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 19.7% ±7.6 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.7% ±4.9 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.7% ±7.6 pts | 83.1% | – |
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 Wellsburg?
Owners occupy 80.0% of Wellsburg's occupied homes and renters 20.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $104,500 by its owner (±$16,876). The median renter pays $624 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Wellsburg | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $104,500 ±$16,876 | $141,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $624 ±$21 | $645 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 24.1% ±20.8 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,058 ±$165 | $1,112 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 80.0% ±8.0 pts | 74.6% | +17.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.0% ±8.0 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,142 ±117 | 10,691 | −419 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±16.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 79.3% ±7.0 pts | 73.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.3% ±3.3 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 60.6% ±8.6 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.9% ±3.7 pts | 7.6% | – |
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 Wellsburg building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Wellsburg 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 Wellsburg work and get to work?
87.6% of Wellsburg's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.3%.
| Measure | Wellsburg | Brooke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.3% ±7.9 pts | 55.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.3% ±8.3 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.6% ±6.9 pts | 81.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.3% ±6.9 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.9% ±2.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.6 min ±4.9 | 24.8 min | −6.7 min |
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 Wellsburg?
1 census tract lies mostly in Wellsburg, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 314.01Brooke County | 1,729 | $43,297 |
| Tract 314.02Brooke County | 2,605 | $52,303 |
| Tract 317Brooke County | 2,035 | $48,375 |
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 Wellsburg) · Census block assignment files
How does Wellsburg compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wellsburg is the 7,261st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 53rd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Wellsburg ranks 110th 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 | 53rd | 230 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 96th | 102 |
| Residents per square mile | 16th | 146 |
| Median household income | 110th | 138 |
| Per capita income | 65th | 144 |
| Median home value | 108th | 142 |
| Median gross rent | 111th | 123 |
| Poverty rate | 58th | 111 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 96th | 135 |
| Median age | 9th | 146 |
| Owner-occupied share | 34th | 146 |
| Travel time to work | 107th | 145 |
Wellsburg's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Wellsburg 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 Wellsburg?
21 of the 57 figures for Wellsburg 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 Wellsburg 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 Wellsburg.