Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Mount Hope’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a D− for health. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Mount Hope, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On health, just 1 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do worse. The median household income is $34K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. On civic life, just 3 of West Virginia’s 89 towns do worse. Mount Hope has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them New River Company General Office Building and Mount Hope Historic District. Mount Hope has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mount Hope beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
New River Company General Office Building| Widest gap | Mount Hope | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.7% | 11% |
1,414 counted in 2010 and 1,125 in 2020; an estimated 1,234 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 Mount Hope is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 351 in 1900, a peak of 2,588 in 1950, 1,125 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2001 and 7 maps from 1913 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mount Hope. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
4 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
7 mi MuseumThurmond
8 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
40 mi MuseumLost World Caverns
21 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 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Phillips-Sprague Mine: Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lost World Caverns: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mount Hope, 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 Mount Hope.
38% of Mount Hope adults say their health is fair or poor, above both West Virginia’s towns (24%) and U.S. towns (19%). 26% of Mount Hope adults report frequent mental distress. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Mount Hope.
| Mount Hope | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Mount Hope | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.3% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.7% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 39 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mount Hope.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Mount Hope home is worth about $112,000, down 3.6% in a year, 36% below the West Virginia typical home. The median rent in Mount Hope is $549 a month. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 4 have a lower share of households owning their home than Mount Hope.
| Mount Hope | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $549 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Mount Hope for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Mount Hope has lost 282 jobs, to 156 in 2023. Mount Hope’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
| Mount Hope | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mount Hope has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 23° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Graney Memorial Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3 within 15 miles of the center of Mount Hope
About 5 of every 100 Mount Hope residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Mount Hope on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Mount Hope.
City in West Virginia, US
Mount Hope is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,125 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 A.
5 notable people were born here, including Bob Elkins and Fred Bailey.
