Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Oakvale spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Oakvale’s town government spent $23,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $211 per resident.
What stands out about how Oakvale is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$211 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Oakvale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($211 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $658, and the middle half spent $352–$964. Oakvale spent less than 90% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Oakvale itself left out).
About $211 per resident a year, or $0.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Oakvale reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Oakvale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Mercer County School District
Oakvale’s K–12 school district, shared with Athens, Bluefield, Bramwell, Princeton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,226 per pupil, $8,258 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
West Virginia districts overall: 36% local, 46% state, 18% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Oakvale’s votes are counted by county
West Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Oakvale alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mercer County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.9%18,372 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.6%4,851 votesOthers: 1.5% (361 votes).
Most votes in Mercer County: Donald J Trump
West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%
100% of Oakvale lies in Mercer County. Every 2024 race in Mercer County is on the county’s page.
Mercer County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Oakvale.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2West Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3West Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of West Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Oakvale’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Oakvale’s government
How much does Oakvale spend per resident?
About $211 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $211 was less than 90% of 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Oakvale’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Oakvale yet.
How did Oakvale vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Oakvale alone. Mercer County, where 100% of Oakvale lies, voted Trump 77.9%, Harris 20.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Oakvale?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $288 (about $3,456 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Oakvale in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Craig Hart and Mark Maynard) and House of Delegates District 39 (Doug Smith). The House of Delegates district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Oakvale’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →