Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dunbar gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $121K for a typical one, or 2 years of the Charleston metro’s $60K median household income. It grades C overall, 38th of 61 graded towns in West Virginia. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns. 11% of the land in Dunbar is conserved, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 2.5% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Among 61 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower share of children under 18 than Dunbar. Dutch Hollow Wine Cellars is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Dunbar beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Dunbar is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,189 in 1930, a peak of 11,006 in 1960, 7,480 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dunbar, 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 Dunbar.
Dunbar fares better on crime within West Virginia than nationally, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Charleston and other neighbors.
Within West Virginia it is less healthy than 58% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Dunbar, above both West Virginia’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (35%). 17% of adults have diabetes in Dunbar. Dunbar beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Dunbar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 44% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Dunbar | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Kanawha County Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunbar Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 325 | C |
| Ben Franklin Career CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Since 1992, 41 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dunbar.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 33.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 61% of West Virginia’s graded towns. Property crime runs at 22.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the West Virginia rate, most of it theft.
Dunbar’s property crime rate is 22.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Dunbar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 2 years of the Charleston metro’s $60K median household income, the typical home (about $121K) costs less against local pay than in 92% of West Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. Values fell 5.7% in the past year while the West Virginia typical home rose 2.6%.
Typical home values fell 5.7% in the year to September 2026. 62% of Dunbar households own their home.
| Dunbar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $935 a month | $874 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Dunbar has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. The July high in Dunbar is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 13% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 26% of residents (21% statewide). Dunbar has lost 5.8% of its people since 2020, down to 7,050 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Dunbar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.9 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Dunbar | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.9% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.6% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.5% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Dunbar has about as many jobs (3,527) as working residents, but only 162 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.7 minutes, against 26.6 across West Virginia.
Most working residents leave Dunbar for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Dunbar has added 427 jobs, to 3,527 in 2023. The top destinations are Charleston (36%), South Charleston (13%) and Huntington (3%).
| Dunbar | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Wine Cellar Park, at 85 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wine Cellar Park | 0.5 mi | 85 |
| 2. Dunbar Park | — | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3 within 15 miles of the center of Dunbar
About 7 of every 100 Dunbar residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
City in West Virginia, US
Dunbar is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Kanawha River. The population was 7,479 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Dunbar.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunbar | #38 | C | A− | C− | C+ | D |
| South Charleston | #52 | D | A− | D− | C+ | D |
| West Dunbar | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Charleston | #58 | D | B− | D | C+ | D |
West Dunbar isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dunbar with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dunbar grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #38 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Aaron Dobson and Oscar Holmes.