Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,846.
Philippi gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $135K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the county’s $51K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 49th of 61 in West Virginia. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $46K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it has 7 miles of trail. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Philippi, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 3 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score higher on history. Philippi is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns.
Where Philippi beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
12.2% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Philippi is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 378 in 1890, 2,929 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Philippi, 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 Philippi.
Philippi fares better on crime within West Virginia than nationally, draws workers from Belington and beyond and has more trail for its size than nearly any town in West Virginia.
At 2.5 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 34 West Virginia towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #1 of 61 in West Virginia.
7.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Philippi is 2.5 miles per square mile. Memorial Park, at 173 acres with 5.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | 5.6 mi | 173 |
| 2. Philippi Recreation Area | 0.4 mi | 14 |
| 3. Dayton Park | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Barbour County Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Philip Barbour High School Complex, with 520 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippi Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 387 | B− |
| Philip Barbour High School ComplexLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 520 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
2,023 jobs are based in Philippi, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Philippi’s working residents works in town. Philippi’s average trip to work is 28 minutes. Since 2013, Philippi has added 355 jobs, to 2,023 in 2023.
| Philippi | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 4,320 U.S. towns with household incomes like Philippi’s, it is less healthy than 64%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within West Virginia it is healthier than 53% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
24% of Philippi adults report frequent mental distress. Only 2 of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Philippi. 26% of Philippi adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Philippi | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 31% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Philippi | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 31.5% | 37.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.1% | 19.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
216 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 25 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 216 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Philippi.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 18 to 34 are 34% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 27% of residents (38% statewide). 15% of residents are under 18 in Philippi. Among 61 West Virginia towns, just 6 have a lower median age than Philippi.
| Philippi | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 36.5 years | 42.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 29% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Philippi | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 22.1% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.8% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.5% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.4% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,800, single groups can be off by several points
At about $135K, home values are up 6% in five years, against a rise of 23% across West Virginia.
The typical Philippi home is worth about $135,000, down 1.4% in a year, 23% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Philippi | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $775 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Philippi has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 22° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 16.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 82% of West Virginia’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 34 to 15 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Among 31 West Virginia towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Philippi.
| Philippi | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Philippi
College town 17 of every 100 Philippi residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Philippi’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Philippi on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Philippi.
City in West Virginia, US
Philippi ('FILL-uh-pea') is a city in and the county seat of Barbour County, West Virginia, United States, along the Tygart Valley River. The population was 2,929 at the 2020 census. In 1861, it was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as the "Philippi Races". Although a minor skirmish, this is considered the earliest notable land action of the American Civil War. The city has a weekly newspaper, The Barbour Democrat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Philippi grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #49 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health, B for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
6 notable people were born here, including Lyle Williams and Alston G. Dayton.
