Red Horse Tavern · National Register of Historic Places
Aurora’s story
151 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1875Aurora is settled
AuroraWV
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY 3.0
Population
284
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$133K
+1.6% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
38.2
years
Jobs based here
21
A commuter town
Is Aurora a good place to live?
Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Aurora. Its National Register listings include Red Horse Tavern and Gaymont. Aurora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Aurora stand out
Where Aurora beats most towns.
Small town
284 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Aurora: who provides what
Aurora is unincorporated, so Preston County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesPreston CountyPreston County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePreston Clerk of the County CommissionPreston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code2670526705 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Aurora.
Work & commute
Most of Aurora’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Oakland (10%), Kingwood (4%) and Grafton (4%). Among residents in Aurora, 23% live below the poverty line, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Half the trips to work are shorter than 28 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Aurora0%
Oakland10%
Kingwood4%
Grafton4%
Morgantown4%
28 mi
median commute distance
21
jobs based in Aurora
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Aurora’s kids attend
The Preston County Schools runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Aurora’s public school: 142 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 142 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Aurora is valued at about $133K
Only 4 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of homes lived in by their owners than Aurora. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 1.6% in value.
$133KZillow home value
Typical home value
Aurora$133K
West Virginia$177K
+1.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Aurora: snowy winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 79° and January nights of 19°, with about 171 inches of snow a winter.
171″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–38°
Spring37–59°
Summer56–77°
Fall40–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Aurora has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
FEMA puts 85% of Aurora’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2003, has brought federal aid to Aurora households.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Aurora is
Nearly a fifth of adults in Aurora have diabetes; 21% smoke cigarettes. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Aurora is ahead of West Virginia on 2 and behind on 6. Also worth knowing: among adults here, 50% have high blood pressure, above both West Virginia’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (35%). The share of adults in Aurora who report frequent physical distress: 18%.
| Aurora | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 44% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
2 better24 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Aurora | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults in frequent mental distress | 18.3% | 21.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73.9% | 66.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.8% | 8.7% |
Garrett Regional Medical Center
10.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 5.5% of Aurora
0.4 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. In Aurora, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. This West Virginia town has one park or preserve, 8 acres in all.
5.5%conserved
| Aurora | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.5% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
5.5%
conserved · 73 of 1,341 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cathedral State Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Dolly Sods Wilderness and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Aurora. Close and well known come first.
25 mi Park & preserveDolly Sods Wilderness
31 mi Stadium & arenaMountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
15 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
38 mi MountainMount Davis
33 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
40 mi MountainSpruce MountainSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Dolly Sods Wilderness: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · Spruce Mountain: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Aurora
17pages on Aurora
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Aurora; the nearest are
Garrett CollegeCommunity college · Public · McHenry, MD19.8 mi$4,144 in-state tuitionWest Virginia UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Morgantown30.2 mi$10,104 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Aurora residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Aurora for work
Where Aurora’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
21jobs based in Aurora
0%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Aurora on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Aurora
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Aurora is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 200 at the 2020 census. Aurora is located on U.S. Route 50 between Rowlesburg and the Maryland state line. Cathedral State Park is located to the east of Aurora's post office.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,644 ft
- ZIP code
- 26705
Questions about Aurora
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Aurora, WV a good place to live?
Aurora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.