FairleaWV
A town of 1,312.
Is Fairlea a good place to live?
Fairlea’s best subject grade is a B+ for history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Fairlea, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 1 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on cost of living. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. Fairlea has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them David S. Creigh House and Tuscawilla. Fairlea has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Fairlea stand out
Where Fairlea beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
1,312 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Fairlea grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Fairlea is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Fairlea: who provides what
Fairlea is unincorporated, so Greenbrier 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 Fairlea.
For health, Fairlea earns a D
19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Fairlea, above both West Virginia’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 46% of adults have high blood pressure in Fairlea. Only 5 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Fairlea.
| Fairlea | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 44% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Fairlea’s public schools trail 73% of West Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Greenbrier County Schools. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Greenbrier East High School, with 997 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Greenbrier Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 685 | C− |
| Greenbrier East High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 997 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Fairlea stands out in West Virginia and nationally: the median household income there is lower
Fairlea’s median household income is $24,000. Jobs based in Fairlea fell to 1,479 in 2023, 549 fewer than in 2013. Most working residents leave Fairlea for work: only 9% work in town.
| Fairlea | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $24,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.5% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Fairlea
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Fairlea, the median age runs higher than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
The median age in Fairlea is 56.6 years. Children under 18 are 11% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide). 16% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 37% and 73% women
The Census survey reached too few of Fairlea’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.9 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Fairlea | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.8% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.9% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 19.3% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 47.4% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.7% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.8% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 1.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
In Fairlea, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Fairlea has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 23° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Modlin Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Fairlea
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fairlea
About 3 of every 100 Fairlea residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Every workday, about 1,419 people come to Fairlea for work
Where Fairlea’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Fairlea
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Fairlea is a census-designated place (CDP) in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,720 at the 2020 census (slightly down from 1,747 at the 2010 census). Fairlea is the location of the annual West Virginia State Fair, held in August.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,169 ft
- ZIP code
- 24902