Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 52 people, the town was settled in 1889.
Prince’s median age is 62.5 years, above both the West Virginia town median (42.2 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 6 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower peak summer temperature than Prince. 99% of the land in Prince is conserved, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 2.5% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. New River Gorge National Preserve, at 1,286 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Prince has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and 6 maps from 1913 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Ordered by what stands out in Prince.
Prince’s concentration of trails is 1.1 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 2, covering 2,572 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New River Gorge National Preserve | 2.2 mi | 1,286 |
| 2. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | — | 1,286 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected losses in Prince break down as 77% from inland flooding and 10% from lightning. The FEMA risk score for Prince comes to 73 of 100. Also worth knowing: households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2012.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 23° on a January night to 82° on a July afternoon, with about 56 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
40% of Prince adults get no exercise outside work. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Prince. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Prince is ahead of West Virginia on 1 and behind on 15.
| Prince | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Prince | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.6% | 14.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Prince. Close and well known come first.
in town National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
4 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
7 mi MuseumThurmond
8 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
35 mi MuseumLost World Caverns
21 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a yearNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve: NKS22, Public domain · The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve: Lisa Strader, CC BY 2.0 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Phillips-Sprague Mine: Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lost World Caverns: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Prince is unincorporated, so Fayette County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
3 within 15 miles of the center of Prince
About 0 of every 100 Prince residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Prince is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 115 (slightly down from 116 at the 2010 census). Located at an altitude of 1,263 feet (385 m), it is served by an Amtrak station. The community was named after William Prince, an early settler.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Prince has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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