Elkins, WV
Census place 5424580 · pop 6,811
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
22.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
45.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.54 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$44,217 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-3.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
32.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
58.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
31.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$152,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.45% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
12/100 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.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
12 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Elkins: 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 Elkins, WV a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Elkins scores 42/100 — 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 commute time 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 Elkins, WV expensive to live in?
- Elkins has a median home value of $152,700 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Elkins, WV?
- Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (22.1%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Elkins, WV best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (12 min) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.