WVMap-doton-ElkGarden, 2004
Elk Garden’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 723 in 1890, 212 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 7 maps from 1919 on.
- 1881Elk Garden is settled
Elk GardenWV
A town of 209, settled in 1881.
Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
209
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$135K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
26.7
years
Jobs based here
1
A commuter town
Is Elk Garden a good place to live?
Elk Garden’s average trip to work is 53 minutes, against 21 minutes in West Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Elk Garden. Elk Garden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
209 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elk Garden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk Garden, and how to reach them.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMountain Top PSD7 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elk Garden’s trash rules yet
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 hereMineral Clerk of the County CommissionMineral County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code2671726717 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 Elk Garden.
Schools
The schools Elk Garden’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Mineral County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Garden SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 66 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Elk Garden, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
A smaller share of residents in Elk Garden live below the poverty line than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
3.3% of Elk Garden residents live below the poverty line, below both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Elk Garden has lost 119 jobs, to 1 in 2023. Most working residents leave Elk Garden for work: only 0% work in town.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Elk Garden0%
Cumberland4%
Mountain Lake Park3%
Keyser3%
Moorefield3%
23 mi
median commute distance
1
jobs based in Elk Garden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Homes in Elk Garden are worth about $135K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Elk Garden home is worth about $135,000, up 1.1% in a year, 24% below the West Virginia typical home. 85% of households own their home in Elk Garden.
$135KZillow home value
Typical home value
Elk Garden$135K
West Virginia$177K
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Elk Garden, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Elk Garden has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Elk Garden’s July high is 83°F.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring38–61°
Summer58–81°
Fall41–63°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Elk Garden is
Elk Garden beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 24% of Elk Garden adults smoke cigarettes. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Elk Garden.
| Elk Garden | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Elk Garden | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.3% | 19.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.2% | 10.6% |
| More smokers | 23.8% | 19.3% |
Potomac Valley Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elk Garden
17pages on Elk Garden
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elk Garden
About 0 of every 100 Elk Garden residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Elk Garden for work
Where Elk Garden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1jobs based in Elk Garden
0%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elk Garden
Town in West Virginia, United States
Elk Garden is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 211 at the 2020 census. Elk Garden High School was consolidated into Keyser High School in 1997. However the Primary School is still in session, offering classes from Pre-Kindergarten through the fifth grade. The school mascot is the Elk Garden Stags. Elk Garden was incorporated in 1890 by the Mineral County Circuit Court. It is named for an elk lick near the original town site.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,293 ft
- ZIP code
- 26717
- Area code
- 304
Questions about Elk Garden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elk Garden, WV a good place to live?
Elk Garden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.