Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,149, settled in 1871.
The best of Hinton’s subject grades are an A for walkability, civic life, and history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Hinton, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 11 of West Virginia’s 140 towns do worse. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 21% of the land in Hinton is conserved, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 2.5% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Hinton has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Trump-Lilly Farmstead and Summers County Courthouse. Hinton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hinton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Hinton | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.1% | 19.5% |
2,676 counted in 2010 and 2,245 in 2020; an estimated 2,149 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Hinton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 879 in 1880, a peak of 6,654 in 1930, 2,245 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 4 maps from 1912 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hinton. Close and well known come first.
in town National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
Big draw35 mi Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
32 mi LandmarkProject Greek Island
29 mi LakeMountain Lake
21 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
22 mi MuseumThurmondNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · Appalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Project Greek Island: Z22, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mountain Lake: Rolfmueller, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hinton, 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 Hinton.
20% of Hinton adults have diabetes. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Hinton. 31% of Hinton adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Hinton | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hinton | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 79.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.1% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Summers County Schools. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is 6-12 Summers County Comprehensive HS, with 627 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinton Area ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 265 | D− |
| 6-12 Summers County Comprehensive HSLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 627 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hinton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.7 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is New River Gorge National Preserve, at 274 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New River Gorge National Preserve | 0.1 mi | 274 |
| 2. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | — | 274 |
| 3. Bluestone Lake Wildlife Management Area | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide). 25% of residents are 65 or older in Hinton. Hinton has lost 5.4% of its people since 2020, down to 2,149 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Hinton | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.9 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 20% | 22% |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.7 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 85% are women (WV 51%).
| Hinton | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.4% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 15.9% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.7% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 31.2% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Hinton home is worth about $139,000, up 3.4% in a year, 22% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Hinton | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $951 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hinton has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 24° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Hinton for work: only 18% work in town. Hinton’s median household income is $38,000. Jobs based in Hinton grew to 1,096 in 2023, 56 more than in 2013.
| Hinton | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Hinton; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Hinton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
5 places in Hinton on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Hinton.
City in West Virginia, US
Hinton is a city in and the county seat of Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2020 census. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named after John "Jack" Hinton, the original owner of the town site. Much of Hinton's downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($40,699 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
10 notable people were born here, including Sylvia Burwell and John Davis Chandler.
