Craigsville, WV 26205, USA, 2016
Craigsville’s story
135 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2016.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1891Craigsville is settled
CraigsvilleWV
Settled in 1891, this town now has 2,190 residents.
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,190
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$141K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$40K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
370
A commuter town
Is Craigsville a good place to live?
Craigsville’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. On cost of living, just 5 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just one has a lower peak summer temperature than Craigsville. Beaver Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places. Craigsville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Craigsville stand out
Where Craigsville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Craigsville$141K
West Virginia$177K
Cost of livingA+
2.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Craigsville | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with arthritis | 42.1% | 37.7% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Trails WV on 1 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Craigsville for work
Where Craigsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
370jobs based in Craigsville
7%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Craigsville grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Craigsville is from typical.
Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesA+Open →HealthSummersville Regional Medical Center 10.3 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.4 of 20; 5.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income$40K median household incomeC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; cold waves top the listB+Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Craigsville: who provides what
Craigsville is unincorporated, so Nicholas County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCraigsville PSDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesNicholas CountyNicholas 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 hereNicholas Clerk of the County CommissionNicholas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code2620526205 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 Craigsville.
HealthD−
On CDC estimates, Craigsville is less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Craigsville who sleep under 7 hours: 41%. In Craigsville, 47% of adults have high blood pressure, above both West Virginia’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (35%).
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Craigsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 44% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Craigsville | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with arthritis | 42.1% | 37.7% |
Summersville Regional Medical Center
10.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Craigsville’s schools beat 68% of West Virginia districts
The public schools here belong to the Nicholas County Schools. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment in Craigsville: 296 students across 2 schools.
68%of WV districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauley River Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 295 | B− |
| Nicholas County Career and Technical CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Craigsville has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
In Craigsville, the mean commuting time is 18 minutes. Commuting out is the norm here: 7% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in Craigsville grew to 370 in 2023, 94 more than in 2013. Among residents in the town, 6.1% live below the poverty line.
7%work in town
| Craigsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Craigsville7%
Summersville18%
Beckley5%
Charleston4%
South Charleston1%
23 mi
median commute distance
370
jobs based in Craigsville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 10% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
The biggest natural risk in Craigsville is cold waves, at a low overall level
FEMA puts 49% of Craigsville’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 43% to inland flooding. Compared with 69% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Craigsville after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Craigsville
A winter brings about 68 inches of snow, with January nights at 22° and July afternoons at 80°.
68″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–42°
Spring39–62°
Summer58–79°
Fall42–64°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Craigsville is valued at about $141K
In Craigsville, 72% of households are owner-occupiers, above the West Virginia town median (68%) and near the median of U.S. towns (73%).
$141KZillow home value
Typical home value
Craigsville$141K
West Virginia$177K
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than West Virginia overall
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 26% of adults 25 and older, vs 24% across West Virginia. Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (21% statewide). Craigsville’s age of the median resident comes in at 42.6 years.
42.6median age · WV 42.7
| Craigsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 29% | 29% |
CraigsvilleWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school57%
Some college6%
Associate’s1%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 36% and 57% women
The Census survey reached too few of Craigsville’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.8 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Craigsville | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.4% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.4% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 56.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 5.5% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1.2% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.4% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC
Protected land: 1.3% of Craigsville
The biggest park or preserve is Indian Rocks Community Park, at 50 acres.
1.3%conserved
1.3%
conserved · 50 of 3,876 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Indian Rocks Community Park | — | 50 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Craigsville
17pages on Craigsville
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Craigsville; the nearest are
West Virginia School of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity or college · Public · Lewisburg37.6 miNew River Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Beaver46.7 mi$5,156 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Craigsville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
About Craigsville
CDP in West Virginia, United States
Craigsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,173 at the 2020 census (down from 2,213 at the 2010 census).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,313 ft
- ZIP code
- 26205
Questions about Craigsville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Craigsville, 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+.