KanawhaWV
The town, settled in 1861, counts 192 residents.
Is Kanawha a good place to live?
Kanawha’s age of the median resident is 58.8 years, against 42.2 years in West Virginia’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Kanawha. Kanawha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
192 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Kanawha: who provides what
Kanawha is unincorporated, so Wood 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 Kanawha.
More middle-aged adults than West Virginia overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 56% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 3% of residents (20% statewide). 18% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Kanawha.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 22% and 76% women
The Census survey reached too few of Kanawha’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±27.1 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Kanawha | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.2% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 43.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.2% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 17.7% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.2% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 50.5% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.1% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
The schools Kanawha’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Wood County Schools. Enrollment at Kanawha’s public school: 265 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 265 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Kanawha has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Kanawha’s natural-hazard score from FEMA comes in at 87 of 100. 93% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, fewer of Kanawha’s working residents work locally
For half of commuters, work is under 9 miles away. In Kanawha, just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Parkersburg (31%), Vienna (5%) and Marietta (3%).
| Kanawha | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Kanawha’s year
The seasons in Kanawha: chilly winters, warm summers. Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 23°; snowfall runs to about 11 inches a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Kanawha is
For adults in Kanawha, the share who get no exercise outside work is 35%. Among adults locally, 22% smoke cigarettes and 32% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Kanawha | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 31% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Kanawha | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73% | 66.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
McClintic Wildlife Management Area and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kanawha. Close and well known come first.
38 mi Park & preserveMcClintic Wildlife Management Area
15 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
15 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
26 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
10 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman House
15 mi MuseumThe CastlePhoto credits
McClintic Wildlife Management Area: Steve from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Campus Martius Museum: Snoopywv, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ohio River Museum: Wolfgang8741, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Kanawha
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Kanawha
About 0 of every 100 Kanawha residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
99% of working residents leave Kanawha for work
Where Kanawha’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Kanawha
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Kanawha is an unincorporated community in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Kanawha had a population of 430. Kanawha is located on West Virginia Route 47, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Parkersburg.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 636 ft
Questions about Kanawha
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kanawha, WV a good place to live?
Kanawha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.