Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Benwood’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D− for health. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Benwood, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 14 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on hazard risk. The median household income is $44K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. Benwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Benwood 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 Benwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,934 in 1890, a peak of 4,976 in 1910, 1,252 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 8 maps from 1902 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benwood, 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 Benwood.
Benwood beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 26% of Benwood adults smoke cigarettes, above both the West Virginia town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Benwood.
| Benwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 40% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Benwood | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.4% | 11% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.1% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The FEMA risk score in Benwood is 98 of 100. Since 1980, 70 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benwood.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Benwood home is worth about $135,000, up 10.3% in a year, 23% below the West Virginia typical home. Benwood’s median rent is $677 a month.
| Benwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $677 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Benwood has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 15 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Benwood for work: only 5% work in town. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 6 have a lower median household income than Benwood. The top destinations are Wheeling (29%), Moundsville (4%) and Weirton (3%).
| Benwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Benwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Benwood City Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Benwood. Close and well known come first.
6 mi Ancient siteGrave Creek Mound
23 mi MuseumMeadowcroft Rockshelter
4 mi Stadium & arenaWesBanco Arena
8 mi GardenOglebay Park
4 mi MuseumWest Virginia Independence Hall
30 mi MuseumPennsylvania Trolley MuseumGrave Creek Mound: Shonebrooks, CC0 · Meadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · WesBanco Arena: Jgera5 at English Wikipedia, CC0 · Oglebay Park: Morganismysheltie (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · West Virginia Independence Hall: Nyttend, Public domain · Pennsylvania Trolley Museum: The original uploader was N2xjk at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of Benwood
About 3 of every 100 Benwood residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
1,420 counted in 2010 and 1,252 in 2020; an estimated 1,196 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
City in West Virginia, US
Benwood is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The population was 1,269 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.
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.
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