Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,937, settled in 1811. 2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical West Virginia town.
Trash & recyclingKingwood gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $92K for a typical one, or 1.4 years of the Morgantown metro’s $65K median household income. It grades C overall, 29th among West Virginia's 61 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its schools rank behind 89% of the state's and residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Kingwood's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 52 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Kingwood. Kingwood is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 73% of U.S. towns.
Where Kingwood beats most towns.
Census counts: 365 in 1880, 2,980 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1935 and 5 maps from 1907 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Kingwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kingwood, 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 Kingwood.
Kingwood carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of West Virginia (mostly inland flooding), draws workers from Arthurdale and beyond and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
1,662 jobs are based in Kingwood, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 2,302 in 2013 to 1,662.
Most working residents leave Kingwood for work: only 17% work in town. Kingwood’s average trip to work is 28 minutes, above both West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Kingwood has lost 640 jobs, to 1,662 in 2023.
| Kingwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Preston County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingwood ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 383 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of West Virginia towns; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
Kingwood’s FEMA risk score is 7 of 100, below both the West Virginia town median (70 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100).
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within West Virginia it is healthier than 57% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
45% of adults have high blood pressure in Kingwood. Kingwood beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Kingwood.
| Kingwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| What stands out | Kingwood | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 1.4 years of the Morgantown metro’s $65K median household income, the typical home (about $92K) costs less against local pay than in any other West Virginia town; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
The median rent in Kingwood is $664 a month. Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026. The typical Kingwood home is worth about $92,000, up 4.9% in a year, 48% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Kingwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $664 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kingwood has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Kingwood’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the West Virginia average. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Kingwood | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.5 years | 42.3 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.4 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Kingwood | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 10.8% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Just 18 of its 1,550 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Kingwood itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kingwood City Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Brown's Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kingwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi MuseumFallingwater
19 mi Stadium & arenaMountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
37 mi Park & preserveDolly Sods Wilderness
16 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
35 mi MountainMount Davis
23 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a yearFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Dolly Sods Wilderness: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0
None within 15 miles of Kingwood; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Kingwood residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Kingwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Kingwood on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Kingwood.
City in West Virginia, US
Kingwood is a city in Preston County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 2,980 at the 2020 census. The city sits within the Allegheny Mountains above the Cheat River valley. It hosts the annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival, a county fair known for making buckwheat pancakes.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Kingwood grades C overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #29 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
6 notable people were born here, including Jonathan P. Dolliver and William G. Conley.
.jpg){kind=link}
