Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,186, settled in 1891.
The best of Montgomery’s subject grades is an A for walkability; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Montgomery’s violent crime rate is 7.6 per 1,000 residents, against 1.6 in West Virginia’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Only 2 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score lower on hazard risk. The median household income is $28K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. Main Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Montgomery has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Montgomery beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,638 counted in 2010 and 1,275 in 2020; an estimated 1,186 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 Montgomery is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,594 in 1900, a peak of 3,484 in 1950, 1,275 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 6 maps from 1910 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Montgomery, 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 Montgomery.
21% of Montgomery adults have diabetes, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%). 51% of adults have high blood pressure in Montgomery. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Montgomery.
| Montgomery | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 25% |
| What stands out | Montgomery | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 79.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.5% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
37% of Montgomery households own their home. The typical Montgomery home is worth about $73,000, down 0.6% in a year, 59% below the West Virginia typical home. Montgomery’s median rent is $671 a month.
| Montgomery | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 37% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $671 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Montgomery for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Montgomery fell to 690 in 2023, 783 fewer than in 2013. Only 1 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower median household income than Montgomery.
| Montgomery | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $28,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Montgomery since 1997.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Montgomery has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 25° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 15% of residents (20% statewide). The median age in Montgomery is 46.8 years. Montgomery has lost 6.1% of its people since 2020, down to 1,186 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Montgomery | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 46.8 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 29% | 29% |
Somewhere between 44% and 72% women
The Census survey reached too few of Montgomery’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.9 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Montgomery | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.7% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.8% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.2% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.4% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.9% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.7% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Montgomery's reported crime rate is well above West Virginia's. Of the 32 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher property crime rate than Montgomery. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Montgomery | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Montgomery. Close and well known come first.
11 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
22 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
25 mi Ancient siteCriel Mound
20 mi MuseumThurmond20 mi MuseumWest Virginia State Museum
11 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a yearNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Criel Mound: David G. Simpson, Public domain · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
None within 15 miles of Montgomery; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Montgomery residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
10 notable people were born in Montgomery.
City in West Virginia, US
Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, United States, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. The population was 1,280 at the 2020 census.
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 B+.
10 notable people were born here, including Mike Barrett and Elizabeth Stephens.
