Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,273, settled in 1873. 59% more nonprofits per person than the typical West Virginia town.
The best of Ansted’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Ansted’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On walkability, just 4 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do worse. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Ansted’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both the West Virginia town median (0.4) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Ansted has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Halfway House and Contentment. Ansted has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Ansted beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Ansted is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,090 in 1900, a peak of 1,952 in 1980, 1,303 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1995 and 6 maps from 1910 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ansted. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
16 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
36 mi Ancient siteCriel Mound
12 mi MuseumThurmond
4 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a year31 mi MuseumWest Virginia State MuseumNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Criel Mound: David G. Simpson, Public domain · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ansted, 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 Ansted.
20% of Ansted adults report frequent physical distress. Ansted beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 46% of Ansted adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Ansted | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 40% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Ansted | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.8% | 19.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.7% | 10.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Fayette County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansted ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 178 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Ansted for work: only 6% work in town. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Ansted. The top destinations are Fayetteville (9%), Charleston (7%) and Beckley (5%).
| Ansted | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 27% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.4% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ansted has lost 5.6% of its people since 2020, down to 1,273 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Ansted | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 43.5 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
59% women, 41% men
About 71 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.8 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Ansted | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.1% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.6% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Ansted has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Ansted’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Ansted home is worth about $142,000, up 10.1% in a year, 19% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Ansted | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $988 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ansted.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Hawks Nest State Park, at 28 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hawks Nest State Park | 0.3 mi | 28 |
| 2. Ansted Town Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Ansted; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Ansted residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Ansted’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Ansted on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Ansted.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Ansted is a town in Fayette County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The population was 1,303 at the 2020 census. It is situated on high bluffs along U.S. Route 60 on a portion of the Midland Trail (a National Scenic Byway) near Hawks Nest overlooking the New River far below.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
59% more nonprofits per person than the typical West Virginia town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Paul Peck and Jim Kincaid.
