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Falling WatersWV
A town of 2,183.
Priscilla Strode Turner House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,183
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$320K
+3% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
32.6
years
Jobs based here
115
A commuter town
Is Falling Waters a good place to live?
The best of Falling Waters’ subject grades is a B+ for cost of living. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Falling Waters. Faraway Farm and Maidstone Manor Farm is on the National Register of Historic Places. Falling Waters has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Falling Waters for work
Where Falling Waters’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
115jobs based in Falling Waters
0%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Falling Waters grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Falling Waters is from typical.
Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →HealthBerkeley Medical Center 7.8 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SchoolsBeat 59% of West Virginia districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 88° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.6–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 74 attractions →Raven Rock Mountain Complex and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Falling Waters. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
Big draw35 mi LandmarkMount Weather Emergency Operations Center
8 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
in town National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a year
17 mi National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry National Historical Park538K visitors a year
39 mi Ancient siteGettysburg BattlefieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center: Unknown, Public domain · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: Mark Fickett, CC BY 3.0 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Falling Waters: who provides what
Falling Waters is unincorporated, so Berkeley County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPotomac Edison13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBerkeley County Pswd-Potomac River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBerkeley CountyBerkeley County provides services here
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 hereBerkeley Clerk of the County CommissionBerkeley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2024
ZIP code2541925419 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 Falling Waters.
HousingCost of living grade B+
Falling Waters’ typical home value is about $320K
The typical Falling Waters home is worth about $320,000, up 3% in a year, 81% above the West Virginia typical home. 57% of Falling Waters households own their home, against 68% in West Virginia’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The median rent in Falling Waters is $1,320 a month.
$320KZillow home value
| Falling Waters | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,320 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Falling Waters$320K
West Virginia$177K
+3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, fewer of Falling Waters’ residents live below the poverty line
4.3% of Falling Waters residents live below the poverty line, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Falling Waters’ median household income is $88,000. Since 2013, Falling Waters has added 76 jobs, to 115 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Falling Waters | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Falling Waters0%
Martinsburg10%
Hagerstown5%
Frederick3%
Winchester3%
12 mi
median commute distance
115
jobs based in Falling Waters
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 36% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Falling Waters stands out in West Virginia and nationally, with the median age lower than most
12% of residents are 65 or older in Falling Waters. Adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide). 20% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Falling Waters.
32.6median age · WV 42.7
| Falling Waters | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.6 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 29% | 29% |
Falling WatersWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school42%
Some college26%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 12% and 60% women
The Census survey reached too few of Falling Waters’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±24.1 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Falling Waters | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.9% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.1% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.8% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.6% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Falling Waters
Falling Waters has chilly winters and warm summers. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 3 have a higher July high than Falling Waters.
88°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–44°
Spring41–65°
Summer62–86°
Fall44–67°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
88°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Falling Waters trails 63% of U.S. towns
Falling Waters beats the West Virginia average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of Falling Waters adults report frequent mental distress. Only 2 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Falling Waters.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Falling Waters | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 44% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Falling Waters | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.5% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 72.7% | 79.5% |
Berkeley Medical Center
7.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Falling Waters faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Falling Waters
16pages on Falling Waters
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Falling Waters
Valley College-MartinsburgUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Martinsburg6.5 miShepherd UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Shepherdstown10.1 mi$9,056 in-state tuitionBlue Ridge Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Martinsburg10.8 mi$4,752 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Falling Waters residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Questions about Falling Waters
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Falling Waters, WV expensive?
Not for the area. That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($78,802 across the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.