155 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1871Mineralwells is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,389, settled in 1871. Public schools that outperform most of West Virginia.
The best of Mineralwells’ subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 92% of the country. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 5 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Mineralwells. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. Mineralwells has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mineralwells beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Mineralwells’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Mineralwells is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Mineralwells is unincorporated, so Wood 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Mineralwells.
32% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Mineralwells, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 23%. 43% of Mineralwells adults have obesity. Mineralwells beats the West Virginia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Mineralwells | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 31% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Mineralwells | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.2% | 19.5% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 60% | 55.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Wood County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral Wells Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 465 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Mineralwells for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Mineralwells has added 240 jobs, to 294 in 2023. At 20 minutes, Mineralwells’ average trip to work is close to West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and below U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| Mineralwells | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mineralwells has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 27% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). 15% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Mineralwells. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 6 have a lower median age than Mineralwells.
| Mineralwells | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 15% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 21% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.3 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 69% are men (WV 44%).
| Mineralwells | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.5% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.3% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.2% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.4% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,400, single groups can be off by several points
Mineralwells’ median rent is $851 a month.
| Mineralwells | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $851 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The trail density in Mineralwells is 0.7 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mineralwells. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Park & preserveMcClintic Wildlife Management Area
17 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
17 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
23 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
10 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman House
17 mi MuseumThe CastleMcClintic Wildlife Management Area: Steve from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Campus Martius Museum: Snoopywv, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ohio River Museum: Wolfgang8741, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mineralwells
About 5 of every 100 Mineralwells residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
CDP in West Virginia, United States
Mineralwells, also known as Mineral Wells, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,950 at the 2010 census, in which, by 2020, the population decreased to 1,805. The United States Census Bureau calls the community Mineralwells, although the United States Postal Service renamed the community's post office in the late 1990s to Mineral Wells.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of West Virginia.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $155,000, 12% below the West Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.