City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

West Dunbar, WV

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

385
Residents
$37,188
Median income
$83,300
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

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.

Compare with another city

Starting with West Dunbar, WV - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for West Dunbar.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-WEST-DUNBAR-WV · West Dunbar, WV 385 pop · income 6th pct

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 385
  • INC-LOW $37,188
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 6th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Bath
  • HOME-LOW $83,300
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Bath, IL (+ $0 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 West Dunbar

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Dunbar 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 West Dunbar 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: 385.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $37,188. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

West Dunbar - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, West Dunbar lands in the 6th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

6th
percentile, household income
4th
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: West Dunbar, WV

West Dunbar is a small town in West Virginia, home to 385 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $37,188 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. West Dunbar's housing stock carries a median value of $83,300, and the median resident age is 38.7 years. About 6.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 44.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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). Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of West Dunbar'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 work and mobility to comparison shortlist to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

1. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in West Dunbar?

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.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 98.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for West Dunbar?

Within West Virginia, the closest population matches are Franklin (387 residents, $81,071 income); Hundred (390 residents, $44,046 income); Verdunville (380 residents, $53,540 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Gypsum, KS (385 residents); Sadieville, KY (385 residents); Clayton, LA (385 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.

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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 3

How far does income reach against housing in West Dunbar?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

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. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

385 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$37,188 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 0.0% (Very low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · West Dunbar, WV

48/100

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.

Poverty rate A+
0.0%

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

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.

Household income F
$37,188

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

Bachelor's+ share F
6.9%

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).

West Dunbar profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateCost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 48 D
West Dunbar profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 100/100 (A+) · 0.0%
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Household income: 3/100 (F) · $37,188
  • Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 6.9%

How does West Dunbar compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 6% higher than other cities
Home value 4% 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 West Dunbar 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 West Dunbar near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

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

Median Household Income
#262 of 330
21st percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#252 of 337
25th percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#312 of 389
0th percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#291 of 390
25th 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.

6thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

6th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How West Dunbar's home value compares nationally

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

$83,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. West Dunbar $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

West Dunbar's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.2×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,660 of 15,516
More affordable than 83% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,478 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.2×, West Dunbar sits in the affordable band: national rank #2,660 of 15,516 and #2,478 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

$37,188 West Dunbar, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - West Dunbar, WV West Dunbar, WV's median household income ($37,188) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not West Dunbar, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution West Dunbar, WV median $37,188/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%
West Dunbar, 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 West Dunbar, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

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

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 44.1%

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

Population
385
Median Income
$37,188
Median Home Value
$83,300
Median Age
38.7
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
44.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.9%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
98.8%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
1.2%

Based on 160 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 West Dunbar. 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 West Dunbar 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 West Dunbar sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How West Dunbar 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
West Dunbar (this city) 385 $37,188
Franklin 387 $81,071
Hundred 390 $44,046
Verdunville 380 $53,540
Primary sources on this page

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

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.

Share or download this profile