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. 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.
MacArthur stands out in West Virginia and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent physical distress
In MacArthur, 46% of adults sleep under 7 hours, above both the West Virginia town median (40%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than MacArthur. Among adults here, 37% feel lonely.
| 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
For households in MacArthur, the share who are owner-occupiers is 84%.
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
MacArthur has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 23° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
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 people who work leave MacArthur to do it: just 2% work in town. In MacArthur, 36% of residents live below the poverty line. Jobs in MacArthur grew by 180 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 546. The income of the median household for MacArthur comes to $36,000.
| MacArthur | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 36% | 16% | 9.6% |
| 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
Natural hazards: moderate risk in MacArthur, mostly inland flooding
MacArthur’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 42 of 100. Expected losses in MacArthur break down as 80% from inland flooding and 6% from earthquakes. Flood insurance has paid out on 35 claims here since 1980.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Conservation land takes up 2.2% of MacArthur
Walkers can cover 0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| 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−.