Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,605, settled in 1888.
The best of McMechen’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D− for health. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in McMechen, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than McMechen. McMechen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where McMechen beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Center McMechen Elementary School | PK–5 | 160 |
| Widest gap | McMechen | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.5% | 11% |
1,926 counted in 2010 and 1,697 in 2020; an estimated 1,605 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far McMechen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 427 in 1890, a peak of 3,726 in 1940, 1,697 in 2020. The archive holds 6 maps from 1904 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in McMechen, 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 McMechen.
21% of adults report frequent physical distress in McMechen, against 17% in West Virginia’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 24% of McMechen adults report frequent mental distress. Only 3 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than McMechen.
| McMechen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 31% | 23% |
| What stands out | McMechen | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.5% | 11% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.3% | 16.2% |
| More smokers | 25.9% | 19.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Marshall County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center McMechen Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 160 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Since 1980, 39 flood insurance claims have been paid out in McMechen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical McMechen home is worth about $99,000, up 26.3% in a year, 44% below the West Virginia typical home. McMechen’s median rent is $625 a month.
| McMechen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $625 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave McMechen for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in McMechen is $40,000. The top destinations are Wheeling (23%), Moundsville (11%) and Glen Dale (3%).
| McMechen | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
McMechen has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McMechen. Close and well known come first.
5 mi Ancient siteGrave Creek Mound
24 mi MuseumMeadowcroft Rockshelter
5 mi Stadium & arenaWesBanco Arena
9 mi GardenOglebay Park
5 mi MuseumWest Virginia Independence Hall
30 mi MuseumPennsylvania Trolley MuseumGrave Creek Mound: Shonebrooks, CC0 · Meadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · WesBanco Arena: Jgera5 at English Wikipedia, CC0 · Oglebay Park: Morganismysheltie (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · West Virginia Independence Hall: Nyttend, Public domain · Pennsylvania Trolley Museum: The original uploader was N2xjk at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of McMechen
About 3 of every 100 McMechen residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where McMechen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in West Virginia, US
McMechen is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The population was 1,714 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with McMechen.
McMechen and Benwood have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. McMechen and Benwood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare McMechen with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
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