Deep WaterWV
Settled in 1878, this town now has 104 residents.
Is Deep Water a good place to live?
Deep Water’s midpoint age is 66.8 years, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 42.2 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Deep Water. Deep Water has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
104 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Deep Water. Close and well known come first.
6 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
17 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
30 mi Ancient siteCriel Mound
15 mi MuseumThurmond
10 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a year25 mi MuseumWest Virginia State MuseumPhoto credits
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Criel Mound: David G. Simpson, Public domain · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Moving to Deep Water: who provides what
Deep Water is unincorporated, so Fayette 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 Deep Water.
Deep Water stands out in West Virginia and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
Federal aid has come to Deep Water households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 94% come from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most of Deep Water’s workers leave town for work
The median commute is under 26 miles. The top destinations are Charleston (22%), South Charleston (10%) and Oak Hill (8%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Deep Water
July afternoons reach 85° and January nights drop to 25°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, more of Deep Water’s adults sleep under 7 hours
The share of adults in Deep Water who have high blood pressure: 48%. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Deep Water. CDC measures, 32 in all: Deep Water beats West Virginia on 1 and trails on 17.
| Deep Water | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Deep Water | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8% | 9.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 37.3% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Deep Water
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Deep Water; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Deep Water residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
100% of working residents leave Deep Water for work
Where Deep Water’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Deep Water
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Deep Water, also known historically as Deepwater, is a census-designated place on the Kanawha River in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 183 (down from 280 at the 2010 census). It is best known as the starting point of the Deepwater Railway founded in 1898 by William N. Page, which was merged to create the Virginian Railway in 1907. Located near the head of navigation of the Kanawha River just a short distance downstream from Kanawha Falls, it may have been named for that reason. However, according to local legend, as recounted by H. Reid in The Virginian Railway (Kalmbach, 1961), it was named by Squire James Galsepy Kincaid and other lo…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 25057
Questions about Deep Water
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Deep Water, WV a good place to live?
Deep Water has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.