ProsperityWV
A town of 1,389, settled in 1878.
Is Prosperity a good place to live?
The best of Prosperity’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. Only 9 of West Virginia’s 141 towns score higher on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Prosperity. Prosperity has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Prosperity stand out
Where Prosperity beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Prosperity | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.1% | 19.5% |
1,389 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Prosperity grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Prosperity is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Prosperity. Close and well known come first.
4 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
7 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
10 mi MuseumThurmond
4 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
20 mi National park siteBluestone National Scenic River12K visitors a year
25 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a yearPhoto credits
New 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 · Bluestone National Scenic River: Dave Bieri, Public domain · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Moving to Prosperity: who provides what
Prosperity is unincorporated, so Raleigh 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Prosperity.
A larger share of adults report frequent physical distress in Prosperity than in most of West Virginia or the rest of the country
21% of Prosperity adults report frequent physical distress, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 14%. 32% of Prosperity adults say their health is fair or poor. Only 4 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Prosperity.
| Prosperity | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Prosperity | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.1% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.8% | 16.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.9% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Prosperity’s schools rank ahead of 62% of West Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Raleigh County Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 305 | B |
| Greater Beckley Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 150 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
A job hub: Prosperity has 3.2 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,351 commuters
Most working residents leave Prosperity for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Prosperity grew to 1,376 in 2023, 678 more than in 2013. At 19 minutes, Prosperity’s average trip to work is against 21 minutes in West Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| Prosperity | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.8% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 16% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
More middle-aged adults than West Virginia overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 56% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 7% of residents (21% statewide). The median age in Prosperity is 46.7 years. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Prosperity | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.3 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Prosperity | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.3% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.5% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.2% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 69% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 1.9% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Prosperity
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Prosperity, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical West Virginia or U.S. town
Prosperity’s July high is 80°F. Prosperity has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Prosperity are worth about $156K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Prosperity home is worth about $156,000, about the same as a year ago, 11% below the West Virginia typical home.
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Prosperity
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Prosperity
About 2 of every 100 Prosperity residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Every workday, about 1,351 people come to Prosperity for work
Where Prosperity’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Prosperity
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prosperity, WV expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($52,620 across the Beckley, WV metro 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.