Buckhannon, WV

Census place 5411188 · pop 5,116

D−44/ 100
🫤 Rough
F
in WV
📍 West Virginia ranks #17 of 50 states →
🏆 Disaster6/100 · top 1%
🚽 Mental23.2% · bottom 1%
Taxes
0.55% property · US 0.99%6.59% sales · US 7.00%up to 4.82% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Poor mental health23.2%1

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

23.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Population growth (5yr)-6.7%5

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-6.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Broadband access84.4%11

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

84.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Income inequality0.5012

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Adult smoking17.9%14

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

17.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poverty rate21.7%14

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

21.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Physical inactivity32.1%17

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

32.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Median household income$54,61520

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$54,615 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Bachelor's degree or higher24.4%35

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

24.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.0%36

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership62.7%47

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

62.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Adult obesity34.2%54

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

34.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Uninsured adults8.5%61

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

8.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Commute time20 min74

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Housing cost$158,10084

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$158,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Property-tax burden0.55%87

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.55% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level6/100100

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

6/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Buckhannon: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Buckhannon, WV a good place to live?
By the numbers, Buckhannon scores 44/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is poor mental health. West Virginia overall ranks #17 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Buckhannon, WV expensive to live in?
Buckhannon has a median home value of $158,100 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Buckhannon, WV?
Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (23.2%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Buckhannon, WV best at?
Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (6/100) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.