Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bolivar’s typical journey to work is 37 minutes, against 21 minutes in West Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a higher rent at the middle of the market than Bolivar. Bolivar’s trail network density is 2.0 miles per square mile, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Allstadt House and Ordinary and Halltown Union Colored Sunday School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Bolivar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Bolivar beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 1,054 in 1850, 1,036 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bolivar. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi LandmarkMount Weather Emergency Operations Center
Big draw33 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
33 mi MuseumSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center1.6M visitors a year
37 mi National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
in town National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry National Historical Park538K visitors a year
8 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a yearMount Weather Emergency Operations Center: Unknown, Public domain · Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: Mark Fickett, CC BY 3.0 · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bolivar, 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 Bolivar.
The share of households in Bolivar who own their home: 58%. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 1.3%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Jefferson County Schools. 550 students attend Bolivar’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harpers Ferry Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 550 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Jobs based in Bolivar grew to 200 in 2023, 54 more than in 2013. Only 2% of working residents stay in Bolivar for work; the rest commute out. In Bolivar, 18% of workers work from home. The top destinations are Charles Town (6%), Leesburg (5%) and Martinsburg (4%).
| Bolivar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 18% | 9.9% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 16% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bolivar’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.8 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Bolivar: one, of 7 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woodpecker Woods Wildlife Santuary | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Only 5 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who worry about having enough food than Bolivar. For adults in the town, the share who feel lonely is 30%. Among adults in the town, 29% have been diagnosed with depression and 19% report frequent mental distress.
| Bolivar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bolivar | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.8% | 19.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
On expected storm and flood damage, Bolivar sits below 55% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 75% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 6% to strong winds. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bolivar after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bolivar
About 4 of every 100 Bolivar residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
Where Bolivar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in West Virginia, United States
Bolivar ( BO-liv-er) is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,072 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.
Bolivar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
