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Bowden
West Virginia›Randolph County
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BowdenWV

A town.

Glady Presbyterian Church and Manse · Photo: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo of Bowden

Bowden, WV · Glady Presbyterian Church and Manse · Photo: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Typical home
$173K
+4.3% in a year
Land area
0 sq mi

Is Bowden a good place to live?

No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower January low than Bowden. We don’t grade Bowden yet; the figures below are still real.

Getting set up

Moving to Bowden: who provides what

Bowden is unincorporated, so Randolph County and regional agencies provide most services.

InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesRandolph CountyRandolph County provides services here
SchoolsRandolph County School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereRandolph Clerk of the County CommissionRandolph County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021

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 Bowden.

Natural hazards

Very high risk in Bowden, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities.

92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
92Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland flooding
Full pageBowden’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesVery high riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

A typical July afternoon in Bowden is cooler than in most of West Virginia or the rest of the country

Bowden’s July high is 79°F, below both the West Virginia town median (86°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Bowden has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.

69″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–40°
Spring37–60°
Summer56–78°
Fall39–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageBowden’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 79°, January lows 19°Rain & snow69″ of snow a winter · 56 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Bowden is

Bowden tracks West Virginia closely on all 32 CDC measures. 46% of Bowden adults have obesity, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 41% and U.S. towns at 35%. 31% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Bowden.

BowdenWest Virginia townsU.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)46%41%35%
Depression (CDC PLACES)31%31%23%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)46%44%35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)43%40%36%
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Davis Medical Center
7.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageBowden’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hoursHospitals & doctors nearby7.9 miles to an ER · Davis Medical CenterHow adults are doingMore lonely adultsEvery CDC estimateBetter than WV on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Housing

Bowden’s typical home value is about $173K

The typical Bowden home is worth about $173,000, up 4.3% in a year, close to the West Virginia typical home.

$173KZillow home value

Typical home value

Bowden$173K
West Virginia$177K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
Full pageBowden’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsUp 4.3% in a yearYears of income to buyYears of income to buyRentsRents

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Dolly Sods Wilderness and 10 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bowden. Close and well known come first.

All 22 attractions →
19 mi Park & preserveDolly Sods Wilderness17 mi MountainSpruce Mountain20 mi CaveHellhole26 mi National forestMonongahela National Forest37 mi Scenic railwayCass Scenic Railroad State Park18 mi WaterfallBlackwater Falls
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Dolly Sods Wilderness: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Spruce Mountain: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monongahela National Forest: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cass Scenic Railroad State Park: Shayfan at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Blackwater Falls: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Bowden

13pages on Bowden
The big questions
HealthBetter than WV on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$173K typical home · up 4.3% in a yearNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions22 nearby · Canaan Valley Resort 16 miLibraryElkins-Randolph Public LibraryCollegesDavis & Elkins College is 7.5 mi away
The story
Climate79° summer highs · 69″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 26254Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Bowden

Davis & Elkins CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elkins7.5 mi$31,820 tuition

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Bowden

Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States

Bowden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Bowden is located on U.S. Route 33, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east of Elkins. Bowden has a post office with ZIP code 26254. According to the 2020 Census, there were no inhabitants residing at this location (which is down from nine at 2010).

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.1 sq mi
Elevation
2,215 ft
ZIP code
26254

Questions about Bowden

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Bowden, WV a good place to live?

We don’t grade Bowden yet; the figures below are still real. A town.