Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Paw Paw’s average trip to work is 42 minutes, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Paw Paw. Paw Paw’s concentration of trails is 2.2 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in West Virginia’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Pin Oak Fountain and Paw Paw Black School. Paw Paw has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Paw Paw beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 772 in 1890, a peak of 990 in 1940, 410 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paw Paw. Close and well known come first.
in town National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a year
37 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
39 mi National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry National Historical Park538K visitors a year
19 mi LandmarkFort Cumberland
38 mi LandmarkDunker Church
28 mi MuseumMuseum of the Shenandoah ValleyChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0 · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: Mark Fickett, CC BY 3.0 · Fort Cumberland: Unknown, Public domain · Dunker Church: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Museum of the Shenandoah Valley: GustaveCourbet, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paw Paw, 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 Paw Paw.
Public schools: the Morgan County Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paw Paw Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 82 | B+ |
| Paw Paw High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 71 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Paw Paw after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2018. On expected storm and flood damage, Paw Paw sits above 85% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 88% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Flood insurance has paid out on 6 claims in the town since 1985.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearly four in five households are owner-occupiers in Paw Paw. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.7% in value. The rent at the middle of the market for Paw Paw comes to $977 a month.
| Paw Paw | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $977 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Half commute less than 43 miles. For working residents in Paw Paw, the share who work locally is 2.6%. The top destinations are Winchester (6%), Frederick (4%) and Bath (Berkeley Springs) (4%).
| Paw Paw | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The seasons in Paw Paw: chilly winters, warm summers. Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 23°; snowfall runs to about 29 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 2 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Paw Paw. In Paw Paw, 31% of adults say their health is fair or poor. CDC measures, 32 in all: Paw Paw beats West Virginia on 1 and trails on 12.
| Paw Paw | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Paw Paw | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 9.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.3% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Walkers can cover 1.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 6 acres in Paw Paw.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Paw Paw Town Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Paw Paw; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Paw Paw residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Paw Paw’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Paw Paw on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in West Virginia, United States
Paw Paw is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 410 at the 2020 census. The town is known for the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel. Paw Paw was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Morgan County on April 8, 1891, and named after pawpaw, a wild fruit that grows in abundance throughout this region. On September 14, 2024, a group of local citizens organized by Maria Gloyd hosted the inaugural Pawpaw Festival in the Town Park. Hundreds of people attended the festival to hear lectures on how to grow and cultivate Pawpaw fruit, and listen to Appalachian music performed by the Paw Paw Community Choir, Ben Townsend, the Critton Hollow String Band, and Mary Hott with the Ca…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Paw Paw has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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