Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 10,902. Public schools that outperform most of West Virginia.
Cheat Lake's standout: its public schools beat 96% of West Virginia towns on state tests and graduation. Overall it grades A, 1st of 61 graded towns in West Virginia. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 85% of the country and the median household earns $117K. 62% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cheat Lake, against 29% in West Virginia’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 7 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do worse. The biggest place to walk is Coopers Rock State Forest, 734 acres with 3.2 miles of trail.
Where Cheat Lake beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Cheat Lake Elementary School | PK–5 | 754 |
| Widest gap | Cheat Lake | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 19.5% |
7,988 counted in 2010 and 9,930 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Cheat Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 6,396 in 2000, 9,930 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 6 maps from 1902 on.
Explore the history →Cheat Lake is unincorporated, so Monongalia 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Cheat Lake.
Cheat Lake is the healthiest town in West Virginia, has schools in the top 5% of West Virginia and has household incomes well above the West Virginia norm.
Its A+ ranks #3 of the 61 West Virginia towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Monongalia County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheat Lake Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 754 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
It is the healthiest of the 61 West Virginia towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with West Virginia is tooth loss: 8.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 19.5% statewide.
18% of Cheat Lake adults get no exercise outside work. No town among the 61 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Cheat Lake. 36% of Cheat Lake adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Cheat Lake | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 32% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 41% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 25% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cheat Lake | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 19.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 16.2% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.6% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 1,322 in 2013 to 2,041.
6.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Cheat Lake. Of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher median household income than Cheat Lake. Since 2013, Cheat Lake has added 719 jobs, to 2,041 in 2023.
| Cheat Lake | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $117,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 9.8% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Cheat Lake | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.9% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coopers Rock State Forest | 3.2 mi | 734 |
| 2. WV Botanic Garden | 1 mi | 39 |
| 3. Cheat Lake Park | — | 74 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Cheat Lake has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Cheat Lake’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $1,674, against $865 across West Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cheat Lake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi MuseumFallingwater
6 mi Stadium & arenaMountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
16 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
37 mi MountainMount Davis
27 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
8 mi National Historic SiteFriendship Hill National Historic Site18K visitors a yearFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Friendship Hill National Historic Site: The original uploader was ScottyBoy900Q at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cheat Lake
About 3 of every 100 Cheat Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Cheat Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in West Virginia, U.S.
Cheat Lake is a census-designated place in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, surrounding the Cheat Lake reservoir. The population was 9,930 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Morgantown metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cheat Lake.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheat Lake | #1 | A | C+ | — | A+ | A− |
| Brookhaven | #9 | B+ | B− | — | A+ | C+ |
Cheat Lake and Brookhaven report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cheat Lake with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Cheat Lake grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #1 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades A− for health and A+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
The typical home is worth about $368,000, 108% above the West Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
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