BradleyWV
A town of 1,424, settled in 1948.
Is Bradley a good place to live?
Bradley’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. Bradley’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, above both West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On hazard risk, just 10 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do better. Only 5 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on history. Bradley is home to Appalachian Bible College. Only 11 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on the outdoors. Bradley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bradley stand out
Where Bradley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Bradley | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.5% | 19.5% |
1,424 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Bradley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Bradley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bradley. Close and well known come first.
5 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
7 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
10 mi MuseumThurmond
6 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
23 mi National park siteBluestone National Scenic River12K visitors a year
23 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a yearPhoto credits
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Phillips-Sprague Mine: Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bluestone National Scenic River: Dave Bieri, Public domain · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Moving to Bradley: who provides what
Bradley is unincorporated, so Raleigh County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Bradley.
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, more of Bradley’s adults report frequent mental distress
24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Bradley, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 17%. 20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Bradley. Only 1 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Bradley.
| Bradley | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 31% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Bradley | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.5% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.5% | 16.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.5% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
More young adults than West Virginia overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 35% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 10% of residents (20% statewide). 17% of Bradley adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. 23% never finished high school.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 40% and 60% women
The Census survey reached too few of Bradley’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.2 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Bradley | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 21.8% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.1% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 23.2% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.3% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.7% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 10.9% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.8% | 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
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Bradley
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A smaller share of working residents in Bradley work locally than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Bradley. Since 2013, Bradley has lost 251 jobs, to 138 in 2023. Bradley’s median household income is $44,000.
| Bradley | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 16% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bradley has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Bradley has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Bradley is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Bradley are worth about $145K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Bradley home is worth about $145,000, down 3.3% in a year, 18% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Bradley | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $874 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Bradley
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Bradley
About 13 of every 100 Bradley residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
13% of Bradley is in college
Questions about Bradley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bradley, WV expensive?
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.