Mount CarbonWV
A town of 347, settled in 1883.
Is Mount Carbon a good place to live?
Mount Carbon’s middle household income is $250,000, above both West Virginia’s towns ($59,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher age of the median resident than Mount Carbon. Mount Carbon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
347 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mount Carbon. Close and well known come first.
9 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
19 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
27 mi Ancient siteCriel Mound
17 mi MuseumThurmond
11 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a year22 mi MuseumWest Virginia State MuseumPhoto credits
New 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
Moving to Mount Carbon: who provides what
Mount Carbon is unincorporated, so Fayette 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Mount Carbon.
Mount Carbon stands out in West Virginia and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Federal aid has come to Mount Carbon households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2016. 94% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A smaller share of working residents in Mount Carbon work locally than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
The top destinations are Charleston (14%), Montgomery (6%) and Beckley (4%). Half of commuters travel less than 25 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Mount Carbon, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Summers in Mount Carbon are pleasant, and winters chilly, snowy. Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 25°; snowfall runs to about 32 inches a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Mount Carbon is
36% of adults feel lonely in Mount Carbon. Only one of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Mount Carbon. Among adults locally, 25% smoke cigarettes and 20% have diabetes.
| Mount Carbon | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Mount Carbon | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.4% | 19.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 15% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.1% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Mount Carbon sell for about $125K
Among households in Mount Carbon, 93% live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Mount Carbon
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mount Carbon; the nearest are
College town 21 of every 100 Mount Carbon residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
99% of working residents leave Mount Carbon for work
Where Mount Carbon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Mount Carbon
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Mount Carbon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Mount Carbon is located along West Virginia Route 61, 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Montgomery, on the south bank of the Kanawha River at the mouth of Armstrong Creek. Mount Carbon has a post office with ZIP code 25139. As of the 2020 census, its population was 341 (down from 428 at the 2010 census).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 643 ft
- ZIP code
- 25139
Questions about Mount Carbon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mount Carbon, WV a good place to live?
Mount Carbon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.