Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Parkersburg gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $148K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the Parkersburg metro’s $57K median household income. It grades C overall, 32nd of 61 graded towns in West Virginia. The low prices come with trade-offs. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally, and the median household income is $49K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 84% of West Virginia towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 41 places on the National Register. 36% of working residents work locally in Parkersburg, above both West Virginia’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Julia-Ann Square Historic District and St. Francis Xavier Church. Parkersburg is more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Parkersburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Julia-Ann Square Historic District| Widest gap | Parkersburg | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.5% | 16.2% |
Its 41 National Register listings are more than in 96% of West Virginia towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,218 in 1850, a peak of 44,797 in 1960, 29,738 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 5 maps from 1904 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Parkersburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Parkersburg, 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 Parkersburg.
Parkersburg pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and draws workers from Vienna and beyond, but it reports property crime at about twice the West Virginia rate.
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Parkersburg. Only one of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare has a higher share of adults who have obesity than Parkersburg.
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 31% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Parkersburg | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.5% | 16.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.9% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.7% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
That grade comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $148K.
Its public schools are run by the Wood County Schools. Three of its 19 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The 6 public schools in Parkersburg teach 1,890 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 551 | A− |
| Parkersburg High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,491 | B |
| Criss Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 267 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
19,087 jobs are based in Parkersburg, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19.2 minutes, against 26.6 across West Virginia.
Among residents in Parkersburg, 23% live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Parkersburg has lost 2,550 jobs, to 19,087 in 2023. The typical journey to work in the town is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Vienna (7%), Marietta (4%) and Charleston (3%).
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Property crime runs at 23.5 per 1,000 residents, about twice the West Virginia rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 1,093 to 749 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate for Parkersburg comes to 23.5 per 1,000 residents. The rate of reported violence for Parkersburg comes to 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.5 per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Winters in Parkersburg are chilly and summers warm. Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 24°; snowfall runs to about 11 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
125 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 18 properties have flooded more than once.
FEMA puts 88% of Parkersburg’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1979: 125.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Parkersburg home is worth about $148,000, down 0.8% in a year, 16% below the West Virginia typical home. Its typical rent is $785 a month. Also worth knowing: homes sold in Parkersburg spent a median 48 days on the market.
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $785 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For Parkersburg, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. There are 1.9 miles of trail across 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Fort Boreman Park, at 119 acres.
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | 0.7 mi | 47 |
| 2. Fort Boreman Park | 0.4 mi | 119 |
| 3. Southwood Park | 0.1 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Parkersburg has lost 3.7% of its people since 2020, down to 28,593 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Every broad age group is within 4 points of the West Virginia average. For adults 25 and older in the town, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 21%.
| Parkersburg | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 42.2 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.4 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 44.6, men 39.7.
| Parkersburg | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.9% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.4% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Parkersburg. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Park & preserveMcClintic Wildlife Management Area
12 mi MuseumCampus Martius Museum
12 mi MuseumOhio River Museum
24 mi MuseumOld Meigs County Courthouse
12 mi MuseumThe Castle
16 mi MuseumBeauchamp-Newman HouseMcClintic Wildlife Management Area: Steve from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Campus Martius Museum: Snoopywv, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ohio River Museum: Wolfgang8741, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old Meigs County Courthouse: Nyttend, Public domain · The Castle: Chrispainter1966, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Beauchamp-Newman House: mjswisher79, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Parkersburg
About 3 of every 100 Parkersburg residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Parkersburg’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
41 places in Parkersburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
46 notable people were born in Parkersburg.
City in West Virginia, US
Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-most populous city and the center of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. The city's population was 29,738 at the 2020 census, and its metro population was 89,490.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Parkersburg.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkersburg | #32 | C | A− | C− | A− | D− |
| Vienna | #23 | C+ | B+ | C− | A− | C |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
It grades D− for health, C− for safety and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
46 notable people were born here, including Deron Williams and Edwin Catmull.
