Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,055, settled in 1890.
The best of Monongah’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools and civic life; the weakest is a D for health. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Monongah. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. Among 53 West Virginia towns, just 3 have a lower typical home value than Monongah. Monongah has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Monongah beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Monongah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,786 in 1900, a peak of 2,084 in 1910, 965 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 5 maps from 1902 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monongah, 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 Monongah.
Monongah beats the West Virginia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Monongah adults report frequent mental distress, against 21% in West Virginia’s towns and 17% across U.S. towns. 43% of Monongah adults have obesity.
| Monongah | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 41% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Monongah | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.1% | 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 Marion County Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongah Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 266 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
The typical Monongah home is worth about $101,000, down 10.4% in a year, 43% below the West Virginia typical home. Typical home values fell 10% in the year to September 2026.
| Monongah | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $998 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Monongah since 2001.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Children under 18 are 11% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (21% statewide). 26% of Monongah residents are 65 or older, above both West Virginia’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (18%). 16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Monongah.
| Monongah | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 47.2 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 16% | 29% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Monongah | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 17.9% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.9% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.4% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.5% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Monongah has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Monongah for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Monongah has added 148 jobs, to 359 in 2023. Monongah’s median household income is $51,000.
| Monongah | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Monongah | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Monongah City Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Monongah
About 5 of every 100 Monongah residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Monongah is a town in Marion County, West Virginia, United States, situated where Booths Creek flows into the West Fork River. The population was 972 at the 2020 census. Monongah was chartered in 1891. Its name is derived from the nearby Monongahela River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
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+.
2 notable people were born here, including Ruth Broe and Jim Lipinski.