City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

West Union, WV

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

940
Residents
$69,911
Median income
$108,300
Median home
$945
Median rent

Data Snapshot: West Union, WV

West Union is a city in West Virginia with a population of 940 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $69,911 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 11.4%. Typical homes in West Union are valued around $108,300, and the median resident age is 45.1 years. About 15.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 66.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 4 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. Workers in West Union report an average commute of 22.7 minutes, with 79.9% driving alone and 13.3% working from home. 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

940 residents

Census ACS 2023 — West Virginia

Median Household Income

$69,911 /yr

Poverty 11.4%

Cost of Living Index

89.5 (US=100)

Below Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does West Union compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 12% pricier than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare West Union 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 — West Union, WV Quintile shares of aggregate household income for West Union, WV. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution West Union, WV — median $69,911/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 West Union, WV — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.4%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.1%

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

Population
940
Median Income
$69,911
Median Home Value
$108,300
Median Age
45.1
Poverty Rate
11.4%
Labor force participation
66.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.4%

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.7 minutes
Drive Alone
79.9%
Carpool
5.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
13.3%

Based on 533 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 — West Union, 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 West Union, 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 West Union 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 (West Union) plus the nearest peer cities in West Virginia, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WV

West Union

69.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$69,911
Brackets
1
Selected

WV

Monongah

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$90
Brackets
1
Selected

WV

New Cumberland

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$90
Brackets
1
Selected

WV

Rand

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$90
Brackets
1
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WV NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about West Union, WV?

What is the population of West Union, WV? +

West Union, WV has a population of 940 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in West Union, WV? +

The median household income in West Union is $69,911 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in West Union? +

West Union 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 West Union, WV? +

The median home value in West Union is $108,300, 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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