Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 987, platted in 1820. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its National Register listings include Old Stone House and Pennsboro B&O Depot. Pennsboro has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Pennsboro beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 330 in 1880, a peak of 1,753 in 1950, 1,054 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pennsboro, 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 Pennsboro.
The median rent for Pennsboro comes to $811 a month, below both the West Virginia town median ($878 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 4.3% of its value. Also worth knowing: among households here, 75% live in a home they own.
| Pennsboro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $811 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its one school is below. Public schools: the Ritchie County Schools. Enrollment at Pennsboro’s public school: 211 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creed Collins ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 211 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
15 flood insurance claims have been paid in Pennsboro since 1997. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage here than in 85% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Pennsboro after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2026. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 89% come from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 22°, with about 23 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2013, Pennsboro has lost 60 jobs, to 444 in 2023. The average commute here is 31 minutes. The share of residents in Pennsboro who live below the poverty line is 22%, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Parkersburg (9%), Harrisville (9%) and Ellenboro (8%).
| Pennsboro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.4% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of adults in Pennsboro who say their health is fair or poor: 27%. Two figures for adults here: 22% report frequent mental distress, 18% report frequent physical distress.
| Pennsboro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| What stands out | Pennsboro | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.5 miles of trail. In Pennsboro, the density of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Pennsboro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Pennsboro; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Pennsboro residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
1,171 counted in 2010 and 1,054 in 2020; an estimated 987 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
2 places in Pennsboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Pennsboro.
City in West Virginia, US
Pennsboro is a city in Ritchie County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,050 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 74; the North Bend Rail Trail also passes through the city. The town was platted circa 1820 by Charles Penn, and named for him.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pennsboro has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pennsboro was platted in 1820 and has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 3 notable people were born here, including Oscar Lambert and Floyd Giebell.
