Cass Scenic Railroad · National Register of Historic Places
Cass’s story
125 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1901Cass is settled
CassWV
A town in West Virginia.
Cass Scenic Railroad · Photo: Shayfan at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Is Cass a good place to live?
No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower January low than Cass. 35% of the land in Cass is conserved, against 2.5% in West Virginia’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Cass has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Cass Scenic Railroad and Cass Historic District. We don’t grade Cass yet; the figures below are still real.
Getting set up
Moving to Cass: who provides what
Cass is unincorporated, so Pocahontas County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCass Scenic Railroad water system5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPocahontas CountyPocahontas 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 herePocahontas Clerk of the County CommissionPocahontas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code2492724927 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 Cass.
Outdoors
nearly a third of the land in Cass is protected from building
Only 3 of the 55 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher trail density than Cass. 1.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, at 118 acres.
34.6%conserved
34.6%
conserved · 159 of 459 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cass Area of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park | 1.1 mi | 118 |
| 2. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park | — | 118 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Cass’ typical home value is about $129K
Typical home values rose 7.4% in the year to September 2026.
$129KZillow home value
Typical home value
Cass$129K
West Virginia$177K
+7.4%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Cass is cooler than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
The seasons in Cass: chilly, snowy winters, pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 19° and about 51 inches of snow falls in a winter.
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–40°
Spring36–60°
Summer55–78°
Fall39–62°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Cass: inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Cass households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2016. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 65% of U.S. communities. 78% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 13%.
65risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults report frequent physical distress in Cass than in most of West Virginia or the rest of the country
In Cass, 21% of adults worry about having enough food. Only 3 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Cass. The town does better than the West Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 14.
| Cass | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
1 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Cass | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 79.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.1% | 10.6% |
Pocahontas Memorial Hospital
17 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cass. Close and well known come first.
in town Scenic railwayCass Scenic Railroad State Park
11 mi National forestMonongahela National Forest
34 mi MountainSpruce Mountain4 mi Ski areaSnowshoe Mountain65 runs · 1,563 ft vertical39 mi CaveHellhole
38 mi Zoo & aquariumWest Virginia State Wildlife CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park: Shayfan at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Monongahela National Forest: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Spruce Mountain: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · West Virginia State Wildlife Center: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cass
15pages on Cass
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cass; the nearest are
Davis & Elkins CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elkins37.1 mi$31,820 tuitionMountain Gateway Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clifton Forge, VA40.6 mi$5,022 in-state tuitionVirginia Military InstituteUniversity or college · Public · Lexington, VA49.5 mi$21,046 in-state tuition
Landmarks
2 places in Cass on the National Register of Historic Places.
Questions about Cass
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cass, WV a good place to live?
We don’t grade Cass yet; the figures below are still real. A town in West Virginia.