Henderson Hall Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Boaz’s story
141 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1885Boaz is settled
BoazWV
The town was settled in 1885 and has 1,400 residents today.
1 bordering townMap →
Henderson Hall Historic District · Photo: Chrispainter1966 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,400
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$245K
Census ACS
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
47.6
years
Jobs based here
146
A commuter town
Is Boaz a good place to live?
Boaz’s best subject grade is an A− for schools; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Only 12 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on cost of living. 10% of the land in Boaz is conserved, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 2.5% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Henderson Hall Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Boaz has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,400 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Warren TownshipBoaz
How Boaz grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Boaz is from typical.
SchoolsBeat 84% of West Virginia districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →HealthMarietta Memorial Hospital 4.5 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.4 of 20; 6.7% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$73K median household incomeC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $245K, 4.3 years of the Parkersburg metro’s $57K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Boaz: who provides what
Boaz is unincorporated, so Wood County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCentral Boaz PSDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWood CountyWood 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 hereWood Clerk of the County CommissionWood County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code2618726187 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 Boaz.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Boaz stands out in West Virginia and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
Employers in Boaz shed 374 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 146. In Boaz, 11% of residents live below the poverty line. For half of commuters, work is under 8 miles away. The top destinations are Parkersburg (23%), Marietta (10%) and Vienna (6%).
1%work in town
| Boaz | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Boaz1%
Parkersburg23%
Marietta10%
Vienna6%
Williamstown4%
8 mi
median commute distance
146
jobs based in Boaz
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Residents of Boaz are less healthy than 72% of U.S. towns
Only one of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Boaz. Of 32 CDC measures, Boaz beats the West Virginia average on 14 and trails it on 1. For adults in the town, the share who feel lonely is 31%.
29%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Boaz | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
14 better17 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Boaz | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 16.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.1% | 11% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 9.6% |
Marietta Memorial Hospital
4.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
The biggest natural risk in Boaz is inland flooding, at a high overall level
In Boaz, the FEMA hazard score is 72 of 100. 91% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1978: 5.
72risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
5
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Boaz skews older than West Virginia
Boaz’s midpoint age is 47.6 years. People 65 and older are 31% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide). Among residents in the town, 14% are under 18. Four-year graduates: 25% of adults 25 and older here, 24% across West Virginia.
47.6median age · WV 42.7
| Boaz | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 47.6 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 29% | 29% |
BoazWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school41%
Some college21%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 35% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of Boaz’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.3 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Boaz | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.1% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.4% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24.1% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.4% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.1% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.5% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.2% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Boaz
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 23°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–43°
Spring41–65°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–67°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
Boaz keeps 10.4% of its land conserved
The biggest park or preserve is Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, at 96 acres.
10.4%conserved
10.4%
conserved · 292 of 2,801 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge | — | 96 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →The Wilds and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Boaz. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Zoo & aquariumThe Wilds
4 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
4 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
4 mi MuseumThe Castle
30 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
22 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
The Wilds: Bikingshaun (talk), CC BY 3.0 · Campus Martius Museum: Snoopywv, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ohio River Museum: Wolfgang8741, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Boaz
17pages on Boaz
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Boaz
Marietta CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Marietta, OH3.9 mi$39,652 tuitionWashington State College of OhioCommunity college · Public · Marietta, OH5.2 mi$4,128 in-state tuitionWest Virginia University at ParkersburgUniversity or college · Public · Parkersburg10.6 mi$4,612 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Boaz residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Boaz for work
Where Boaz’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
146jobs based in Boaz
1%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Boaz
CDP in West Virginia, United States
Boaz is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 1,321. The community was named in 1878 by the United States Post Office Department, which selected from three names suggested by a resident named William Johnson: "Johnson," "Ruth," and "Boaz."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 650 ft
Questions about Boaz
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Boaz, WV expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.