Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 982 residents, this town was founded in 1933.
Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Arthurdale. 15% of the land in Arthurdale is conserved, above both West Virginia’s towns (2.5%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Col. Thomas Brown House and Arthurdale Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Arthurdale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 5 maps from 1907 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Arthurdale is unincorporated, so Preston County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Arthurdale.
Arthurdale’s FEMA hazard score comes in at 19 of 100. FEMA puts 76% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to strong winds. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over four fifths of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Preston County Schools runs its public schools. Its one school is below. 604 students attend Arthurdale’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Preston SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 604 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (21% statewide). For adults 25 and older in Arthurdale, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 20%. Also worth knowing: in Arthurdale, the midpoint age is 45 years.
| Arthurdale | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 45 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
47% women, 53% men
About 111 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Arthurdale | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.4% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.6% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.2% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.6% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.4% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.4% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Only 2 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower July high than Arthurdale. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 21° and about 57 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
One park or preserve covers 481 acres in Arthurdale.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairfax Pond / Rehe Wildlife Management Area | — | 481 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Only 4% of working residents stay in Arthurdale for work; the rest commute out. In Arthurdale, the average trip to work is 28 minutes. Jobs in the town fell by 204 from 2013 to 2023, to 310. Among residents in the town, 7.2% live below the poverty line.
| Arthurdale | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Arthurdale, just over a quarter of adults say their health is fair or poor. Two figures for adults locally: 18% report frequent physical distress, 20% smoke cigarettes.
| Arthurdale | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Arthurdale | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.6% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arthurdale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi MuseumFallingwater
13 mi Stadium & arenaMountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
24 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
40 mi MountainMount Davis
23 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
32 mi WaterfallBlackwater FallsFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blackwater Falls: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5
2 within 15 miles of the center of Arthurdale
About 4 of every 100 Arthurdale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States
Arthurdale is an unincorporated community in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. It was built in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression as a social experiment to provide opportunities for unemployed local miners and farmers. Arthurdale was undertaken by the short-lived Subsistence Homesteads Division and with the personal involvement of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who used her influence to win government approval for the scheme. As of the 2020 census, Arthurdale had a population of 1,143. The aim was to encourage self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on both market forces and welfare provision. The experiment failed through a clash of ideologies, between a strong emphasis o…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Arthurdale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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