Canty House · National Register of Historic Places
Institute’s story
127 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1935.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1899Institute is settled
InstituteWV
521 people live in this town, settled in 1899.
1 bordering townMap →
East Hall · Photo: Harper1040 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
521
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
26.8
years
Jobs based here
398
A job hub
Is Institute a good place to live?
Institute’s age of the median resident is 26.8 years, below both the West Virginia town median (42.2 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Institute is home to West Virginia State University. Institute has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Institute stand out
Where Institute beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here398
Residents who work187
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| West Virginia State University | 2,991 |
College town
2,991 college students
at West Virginia State University
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
43% of Institute is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Getting set up
Moving to Institute: who provides what
Institute is unincorporated, so Kanawha County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAppalachian Power17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWest Virginia American WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKanawha CountyKanawha 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 hereKanawha Clerk of the County CommissionKanawha County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP codes25064, 2511225064 57% · 25112 43%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 Institute.
Work & commute
Institute has 2.1 jobs for every working resident, and 389 people commute in
For half of commuters, work is under 7 miles away. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Institute dropped by 710, to 398. Only 5% of working residents stay in Institute for work; the rest commute out. The share of residents in Institute who live below the poverty line: 21%.
5%work in town
| Institute | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Institute5%
Charleston32%
South Charleston6%
Dunbar5%
Huntington3%
7 mi
median commute distance
398
jobs based in Institute
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Institute is inland flooding, at a high overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Institute, 92% come from inland flooding. Compared with 69% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 2004: 7.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 2004
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Institute: four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 87° and January nights of 25°, with about 32 inches of snow a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–46°
Spring43–68°
Summer63–86°
Fall45–69°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Institute’s adults feel lonely than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
14% of Institute adults smoke cigarettes. Only one of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Institute. Also worth knowing: on the CDC’s 32 measures, Institute is ahead of West Virginia on 12 and behind on 10.
| Institute | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 21% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 34% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 36% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
12 better10 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Institute | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.9% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 28.1% | 16.2% |
Thomas Memorial Hospital
2.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Institute sell for about $85K
64% of households are owner-occupiers in Institute. The town’s median rent stands at $1,000 a month.
$85Kmedian sale price
| Institute | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,000 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
0
homes sold in August
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Institute
16pages on Institute
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Institute
West Virginia State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · InstituteIn town$9,570 in-state tuitionBridgeValley Community & Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · South Charleston4.1 mi$5,800 in-state tuitionUniversity of CharlestonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Charleston8.7 mi$33,800 tuition
College town 43 of every 100 Institute residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Small town
521 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
NitroInstitute
Landmarks
3 places in Institute on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Institute
Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States
Institute is an unincorporated community on the Kanawha River in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Interstate 64 and West Virginia Route 25 pass by the community, which has grown to intermingle with nearby Dunbar. As of the 2020 census, Institute had a population of 569. The town was founded by a formerly enslaved woman, Mary Barnes. Institute is home to West Virginia State University (formerly the West Virginia Colored Institute and the source of the town's toponym) and the West Virginia State Police Academy. Its economy includes several major industrial plants, which have had a number of environmental incidents polluting the local community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 620 ft
- ZIP code
- 25112
Questions about Institute
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Institute, WV a good place to live?
Institute has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.