Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Alderson’s average trip to work is 61 minutes, against 21 minutes in West Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher median age than Alderson. Its National Register listings include Col. James Graham House and Alexander McVeight Miller House. Alderson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Alderson beats most towns.
Census counts: 478 in 1880, a peak of 1,493 in 1940, 975 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1881 and 2 maps from 1921 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alderson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Alderson.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 179 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alderson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Greenbrier County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alderson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 186 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Alderson has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 24° and about 12 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
46% of Alderson residents live below the poverty line, above both West Virginia’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Alderson’s median household income is $32,000. Jobs based in Alderson grew to 288 in 2023, 72 more than in 2013.
| Alderson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 46% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $32,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
8 crimes were reported in Alderson in 2025: 8 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Alderson is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Alderson beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Alderson.
| Alderson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Alderson | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 51.8% | 55.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alderson Recreation Area | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Alderson home is worth about $174,000, up 4.3% in a year, close to the West Virginia typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alderson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
13 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
19 mi LandmarkProject Greek Island
37 mi Stadium & arenaLane Stadium
26 mi LakeMountain Lake
28 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout ReserveAppalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · Project Greek Island: Z22, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lane Stadium: User:B, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mountain Lake: Rolfmueller, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alderson
About 1 of every 100 Alderson residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
1,184 counted in 2010 and 975 in 2020; an estimated 925 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
5 places in Alderson on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Alderson.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Alderson is a town in Greenbrier and Monroe counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, on both sides of the Greenbrier River. The population was 975 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alderson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Ada Smith and Richard C. Meredith.
