Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,088, settled in 1892.
The best of Belle’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for walkability; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Only 5 of West Virginia’s 140 towns score higher on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. Only 11 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score higher on walkability. On civic life, just 4 of West Virginia’s 89 towns do worse. Samuel Shrewsbury Sr. House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Belle has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Belle 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 Belle is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1920.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belle, 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 Belle.
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Belle, above both the West Virginia town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 31% of Belle adults have been diagnosed with depression. Belle beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Belle | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 44% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Belle | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Kanawha County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 255 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Belle’s FEMA risk score is 98 of 100, above both West Virginia’s towns (69 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1996, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Belle.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Belle home is worth about $115,000, about the same as a year ago, 35% below the West Virginia typical home. 77% of households own their home in Belle.
| Belle | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $891 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Belle. Belle’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Belle fell to 219 in 2023, 404 fewer than in 2013.
| Belle | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $77,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Belle has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 25° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 26% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (38% statewide). Belle has lost 6.1% of its people since 2020, down to 1,088 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 18% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Belle | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 18% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 38 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 21% | 18% |
44% women, 56% men
About 126 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.4 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Belle | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.1% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
2 within 15 miles of the center of Belle
About 3 of every 100 Belle residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Belle’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in West Virginia, United States
Belle is a town in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Kanawha River. The population was 1,171 at the 2020 census. Belle was incorporated on December 13, 1958, by the Kanawha County Circuit Court. It is the home of the Belle Bulldogs Elementary School. Belle Reynolds, an early postmaster, gave the town her first name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 A+.