Carnival Night, 2008
Mineralwells’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,860 in 2000, 1,805 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1906 on.
- 1871Mineralwells is settled
MineralwellsWV
Public schools that outperform most of West Virginia. With 2,389 residents, this town was settled in 1871.
Population
2,389
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$155K
Census ACS
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
294
A commuter town
Settled
1871
155 years ago
Is Mineralwells a good place to live?
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.
How Mineralwells grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Mineralwells is from typical.
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthCamden Clark Medical Center 5.2 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $155K, 2.7 years of the Parkersburg metro’s $57K median household incomeAOpen →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 18.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$65K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Mineralwells stand out
Where Mineralwells beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Mineralwells for work
Where Mineralwells’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
294jobs based in Mineralwells
2%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Mineralwells.
HealthD
Mineralwells earns a D for health
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
16% of adults have diabetes in Mineralwells. The share of adults in Mineralwells who have been diagnosed with depression is 32%, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 23%.
| 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% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| 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% |
Camden Clark Medical Center
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
Public schools in Mineralwells beat 84% of West Virginia districts
84%of WV districts it outscoresA−School Grade
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Mineralwells’s public school: 465 students.
| 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
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Top of a very high hazard risk in Mineralwells: inland flooding
89risk score of 100
The FEMA hazard score in Mineralwells is 89 of 100. FEMA puts 94% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding.
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Mineralwells’ workers commute out
2%work in town
In Mineralwells, the average commute is 20 minutes, close to West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and below U.S. towns (25 minutes). Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Since 2013, Mineralwells has added 240 jobs, to 294 in 2023. Among residents here, 14% live below the poverty line.
| 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 |
Where working residents work
In Mineralwells2%
Parkersburg31%
Vienna4%
Marietta2%
Charleston2%
9 mi
median commute distance
294
jobs based in Mineralwells
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 26% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mineralwells has four seasons and pleasant summers
11″snow a winter
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–44°
Spring42–66°
Summer62–85°
Fall44–68°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than West Virginia overall
35.3median age · WV 42.7
For adults 25 and older in Mineralwells, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 15%. Children under 18 are 27% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 6 have a lower age of the median resident 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% |
MineralwellsWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school42%
Some college16%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s9%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
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
HousingCost of living grade A
A home in Mineralwells sells for about $198K at the median
$198Kmedian sale price
Mineralwells’ going rate for rent is $851 a month. In Mineralwells, 70% of households are owner-occupiers.
| 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% |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%
conserved · 0 of 985 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mineralwells
17pages on Mineralwells
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →McClintic Wildlife Management Area and 5 more within 40 miles
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
17 mi MuseumThe Castle
23 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
10 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
McClintic 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 · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Mineralwells: who provides what
Mineralwells is unincorporated, so Wood County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMon Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMineral Wells PSD1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWood CountyWood County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWood Clerk of the County CommissionWood County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code2615026150 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
After high school
Colleges nearby
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.
About Mineralwells
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)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 663 ft
- ZIP code
- 26120, 26121, 26150
- Area code
- 304
Questions about Mineralwells
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mineralwells, WV a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of West Virginia.
Is Mineralwells, WV expensive?
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.
Mineralwells is in here
Say something about Mineralwells.
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