Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 465, settled in 1893.
36% of residents live below the poverty line in Cowen, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just one has a lower middle household income than Cowen. Cowen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 257 in 1900, a peak of 723 in 1980, 487 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cowen, 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 Cowen.
The rent at the middle of the market in Cowen is $675 a month. Among households locally, 57% own their home, below both West Virginia’s towns (68%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| Cowen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $675 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Webster County Schools runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Cowen’s public school: 328 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glade Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 328 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Cowen’s FEMA risk score comes in at 83 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 1984: 5. Expected losses in Cowen break down as 74% from inland flooding and 19% from cold waves. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Cowen after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2016.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Winters in Cowen are chilly, snowy and summers pleasant, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 22° and about 91 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 6% of working residents stay in Cowen for work; the rest commute out. Jobs based locally fell to 126 in 2023, 44 fewer than in 2013. In Cowen, the typical journey to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Addison (Webster Springs) (8%), Summersville (4%) and Charleston (4%).
| Cowen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Cowen, 44% of adults have obesity. 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 Cowen.
| Cowen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cowen | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.9% | 19.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 14.2% | 10.6% |
| More smokers | 25.3% | 19.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Parks and preserves in Cowen: 3, covering 21 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cowen Bike Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Big Ditch Wildlife Management Area | — | 1 |
| 3. Cowen Town Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Cowen; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Cowen residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Cowen is a town in Webster County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 488 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.
Cowen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.