Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
37% of residents live below the poverty line in Elizabeth, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower home-ownership rate than Elizabeth. Elizabeth has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Burning Springs Complex and Beauchamp-Newman House. Elizabeth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Elizabeth beats most towns.
Census counts: 395 in 1880, a peak of 994 in 2000, 724 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1978 and 4 maps from 1906 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth.
Most people who work leave Elizabeth to do it: just 14% work in town. Since 2013, Elizabeth has added 93 jobs, to 436 in 2023. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles. The top destinations are Parkersburg (20%), Charleston (3%) and Marietta (2%).
| Elizabeth | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Wirt County Schools runs its public schools. Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The 3 public schools in Elizabeth teach 866 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wirt County Primary CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 328 | B+ |
| Wirt County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 275 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
For Elizabeth, the risk rating from FEMA is 89 of 100. Federal aid has come to Elizabeth households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2012. Also worth knowing: of the losses FEMA expects here, 92% come from inland flooding. Since 1997, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in the town.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 3.8%.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 23°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearly a quarter of adults report frequent mental distress in Elizabeth. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Elizabeth.
| Elizabeth | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Elizabeth | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 50% | 55.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elizabeth
About 12 of every 100 Elizabeth residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
4 places in Elizabeth on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Elizabeth is a town in and the county seat of Wirt County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Little Kanawha River. The population was 724 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elizabeth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
