MatoakaWV
A town settled in 1904, now home to 30 people.
Is Matoaka a good place to live?
93% of residents live below the poverty line in Matoaka, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Matoaka. Matoaka has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
30 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Matoaka: who provides what
Matoaka is unincorporated, so Mercer 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 Matoaka.
Matoaka faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Matoaka, 76% come from inland flooding and 13% from cold waves. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in just over two thirds of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Matoaka households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Matoaka, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
Matoaka brings chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 23° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Matoaka is
Matoaka: 15% of adults report frequent physical distress. CDC measures, 32 in all: Matoaka beats West Virginia on 10 and trails on 2. Only 6 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Matoaka. In Matoaka, 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 22% report frequent mental distress.
| Matoaka | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 31% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Matoaka | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 6% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.9% | 4.2% |
| Fewer adults screened for colon cancer | 57.7% | 66.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in Matoaka sells for about $71K at the median
For households in Matoaka, the share who are owner-occupiers is 50%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Matoaka
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Matoaka
About 0 of every 100 Matoaka residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
About Matoaka
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Matoaka is a census-designated place in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 173 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 100,093. This town is named for Chief Powhatan's daughter Matoaka who was better known by her nickname "Pocahontas". Matoaka became an unincorporated town when it voted to dissolve its charter in May 2018.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,359 ft
- ZIP code
- 24736
Questions about Matoaka
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Matoaka, WV a good place to live?
Matoaka has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.