MacArthurWV
A town of 1,493, settled in 1942.
Is MacArthur a good place to live?
MacArthur’s best subject grade is a B for schools; its weakest is a D− for health. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in MacArthur, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 4 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do worse. The median household income is $36K, and 36% of residents live below the poverty line. No town in West Virginia scores lower than MacArthur on history. The biggest park or preserve is Fitzpatrick Park, at 42 acres. MacArthur has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,493 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How MacArthur grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far MacArthur is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around MacArthur. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
12 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
3 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
16 mi MuseumThurmond
16 mi National park siteBluestone National Scenic River12K visitors a year
31 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a yearPhoto credits
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Phillips-Sprague Mine: Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bluestone National Scenic River: Dave Bieri, Public domain · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Moving to MacArthur: who provides what
MacArthur is unincorporated, so Raleigh 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 MacArthur.
A larger share of adults in MacArthur say their health is fair or poor than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
35% of adults say their health is fair or poor in MacArthur, against 24% in West Virginia’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 23% of MacArthur adults report frequent physical distress. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than MacArthur.
| MacArthur | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | MacArthur | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.5% | 16.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.5% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in MacArthur are worth about $129K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical MacArthur home is worth about $129,000, down 0.8% in a year, 27% below the West Virginia typical home. 84% of households own their home in MacArthur.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in MacArthur is cooler
The July high in MacArthur is 81°F. MacArthur has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, MacArthur draws in 539 commuters
Most working residents leave MacArthur for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in MacArthur grew to 546 in 2023, 180 more than in 2013. Only 3 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower median household income than MacArthur.
| MacArthur | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in MacArthur
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 35 flood insurance claims have been paid out in MacArthur.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fitzpatrick Park | 0.1 mi | 42 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about MacArthur
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of MacArthur
About 0 of every 100 MacArthur residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Questions about MacArthur
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is MacArthur, WV expensive?
That is 2.5 years of the area's median household income ($52,620 across the Beckley, WV metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.