Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
7.8% of residents are 65 or older in Bethany, below both West Virginia’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (18%). No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower median age than Bethany. Bethany is home to Bethany College. Bethany has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Bethany beats most towns.
Census counts: 335 in 1880, a peak of 1,360 in 1970, 781 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 6 maps from 1902 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethany, 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 Bethany.
Bethany has chilly winters and pleasant summers. At 84°F, Bethany’s July high is below both the West Virginia town median (86°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Bethany for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Bethany has added 42 jobs, to 241 in 2023. 8.1% of Bethany residents live below the poverty line.
| Bethany | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.4% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
6.4% of adults have diabetes in Bethany. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Bethany. 31% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Bethany.
| Bethany | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.4% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 44% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Bethany | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.3% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.6% | 4.2% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.5% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bethany.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Bethany home is worth about $176,000, up 4.1% in a year, close to the West Virginia typical home. Bethany’s median rent is $639 a month.
| Bethany | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $639 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bethany. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
7 mi MuseumMeadowcroft Rockshelter
33 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
34 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
39 mi Theme parkKennywood
34 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints ArenaAcrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Meadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0
6 within 15 miles of the center of Bethany
College town 65 of every 100 Bethany residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
1,036 counted in 2010 and 781 in 2020; an estimated 752 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
6 places in Bethany on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Bethany.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Bethany is a town in southern Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 756 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area. It is best known as the home of Bethany College, a private liberal arts college that was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bethany has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Gene Curtis and Charles Reynolds Brown.
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