Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,659, settled in 1853. 92% more nonprofits per person than the typical West Virginia town.
Trash day: look up yoursMoundsville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $131K for a typical one, or 2.3 years of the Wheeling metro’s $57K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 24th of 61 graded towns in West Virginia. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 80% of West Virginia towns. Moundsville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Moundsville, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On the outdoors, just 7 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do better.
Where Moundsville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
9,318 counted in 2010 and 8,093 in 2020; an estimated 7,659 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 5.4% since 2020, after 13.1% in the decade before.
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 Moundsville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 445 in 1850, a peak of 15,163 in 1960, 8,093 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1848 and 3 maps from 1960 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Moundsville, 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 Moundsville.
Moundsville pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Within West Virginia it is less healthy than 63% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Moundsville. Moundsville beats the West Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 47% of adults have high blood pressure in Moundsville.
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 44% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Moundsville | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 79.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.2% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $131K.
Its public schools are run by the Marshall County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moundsville Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 452 | D |
| Gateway Achievement CenterLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 38 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 140 to 202 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Property crime runs at 23.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the West Virginia rate, most of it theft.
Moundsville’s property crime rate is 23.9 per 1,000 residents. Within West Virginia, it does better than 61% of towns. Moundsville’s violent crime rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
77 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 77 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Moundsville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.3 years of the Wheeling metro’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $131K) costs less against local pay than in 80% of West Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living. At about $131K, home values are up 4% in five years, against a rise of 23% across West Virginia.
The typical Moundsville home is worth about $131,000, up 0.6% in a year, 26% below the West Virginia typical home. The median rent in Moundsville is $834 a month.
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $834 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Moundsville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Moundsville has about as many jobs (3,608) as working residents, but only 570 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Moundsville for work: only 18% work in town. Since 2013, Moundsville has added 259 jobs, to 3,608 in 2023. The top destinations are Wheeling (21%), Glen Dale (5%) and Morgantown (2%).
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). 17% of Moundsville adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Moundsville has lost 5.4% of its people since 2020, down to 7,659 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.1 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.3 points). Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Moundsville | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.4% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.2% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.2% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 49.4% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.8% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.6% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
| Moundsville | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Methodist Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Marshall County Fairgrounds | — | 9 |
| 3. East End Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Moundsville. Close and well known come first.
in town Ancient siteGrave Creek Mound
28 mi MuseumMeadowcroft Rockshelter
10 mi Stadium & arenaWesBanco Arena
13 mi GardenOglebay Park
10 mi MuseumWest Virginia Independence Hall
33 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
2 within 15 miles of the center of Moundsville
About 2 of every 100 Moundsville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
7.3% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
4 places in Moundsville on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Moundsville.
City in West Virginia, US
Moundsville is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 8,122 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The city was named for the nearby ancient Grave Creek Mound, constructed 250 to 100 BC by indigenous people of the Adena culture.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Moundsville.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moundsville | #24 | C+ | A | C | A− | D |
| Glen Dale | — | — | B+ | B | A− | C+ |
Glen Dale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Moundsville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Moundsville grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #24 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health, C for safety and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Within West Virginia, it does better than 61% of towns.
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.
9 notable people were born here, including Frank De Vol and Davis Grubb.
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