Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
38% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Gay, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower owner-occupancy rate than Fort Gay. Fort Gay High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Gay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Fort Gay beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 253 in 1880, 675 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 6 maps from 1939 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Gay, 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 Fort Gay.
Expected losses in Fort Gay break down as 86% from inland flooding and 8% from heat waves. Since 1997, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out here. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Wayne County Schools. Fort Gay’s only public school teaches 440 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Gay Pre K-8Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 440 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
The top destinations are Huntington (11%), Wayne (9%) and Louisa (7%). Fort Gay’s average commute is 30 minutes. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Fort Gay. Half the trips to work are shorter than 23 miles.
| Fort Gay | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.2%. The rent at the middle of the market for Fort Gay comes to $726 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 5 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher typical July afternoon high than Fort Gay. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 62 West Virginia towns, just one has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Fort Gay. The share of adults in Fort Gay who smoke cigarettes: 28%.
| Fort Gay | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 21% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Fort Gay | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.8% | 16.2% |
| More smokers | 28.2% | 19.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Fort Gay; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Fort Gay residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Fort Gay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in West Virginia, United States
Fort Gay is a town in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Tug Fork and Big Sandy rivers. It is located within the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, and adjoins Louisa, Kentucky. The population was 677 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fort Gay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.