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Raleigh WV postmark
Raleigh WV postmark
West Virginia›Raleigh County

RaleighWV

A town of 325, settled in 1893.

1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Coal town guy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo of Raleigh

Raleigh, WV · Photo: Coal town guy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗

Is Raleigh a good place to live?

0.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Raleigh, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Raleigh. Raleigh has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

325 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
BeckleyBeckleyRaleigh
VIEW OF THE TOWN OF RALEIGH, WEST VIRGINIA, A SUBURB OF BECKLEY SHOWING SOME OF THE HOMES AND A PORTION OF THE... - NAR…
VIEW OF THE TOWN OF RALEIGH, WEST VIRGINIA, A SUBURB OF BECKLEY SHOWING SOME OF THE HOMES AND A PORTION OF THE... - NAR…, 1974
Raleigh’s story

133 years in pictures

The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1974 and 6 maps from 1913 on.

  • 1893Raleigh is settled
Explore the history →
Nearby attractions

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 6 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Raleigh. Close and well known come first.

All 16 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo 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 · Lost World Caverns: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bluestone National Scenic River: Dave Bieri, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Raleigh: who provides what

Raleigh is unincorporated, so Raleigh County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerAppalachian Power17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBeckley Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRaleigh CountyRaleigh County provides services here
SchoolsRaleigh County School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereRaleigh Clerk of the County CommissionRaleigh County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes25911, 2580125911 95% · 25801 5%Census 2020

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 Raleigh.

Natural hazards

Raleigh stands out in West Virginia and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower

At 5 of 100, Raleigh’s FEMA risk score is below both West Virginia’s towns (69 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).

5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
5Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingEarthquakesCold waves
7
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

Most of Raleigh’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them

Most working residents leave Raleigh for work: only 0% work in town. The top destinations are Beckley (32%), Sophia (4%) and Charleston (4%). Half commute less than 5 miles.

0%work in town

Where working residents work

In Raleigh0%
Beckley32%
Sophia4%
Charleston4%
MacArthur4%
5 mi
median commute distance
7
jobs based in Raleigh
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Raleigh has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Raleigh has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 23° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.

56″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–43°
Spring40–63°
Summer59–80°
Fall43–64°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults say their health is fair or poor in Raleigh than in most of West Virginia or the rest of the country

34% of Raleigh adults say their health is fair or poor. Only 1 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Raleigh. 21% of Raleigh adults report frequent physical distress.

RaleighWest Virginia townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)34%24%19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)25%18%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)26%21%17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)21%17%14%
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
What stands outRaleighWV
More adults facing a utility shut-off18.6%11%
More adults facing food insecurity26.8%16.2%
More adults without reliable transportation14.3%8.9%
Beckley VA Medical Center
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Raleigh

16pages on Raleigh
After high school

Colleges nearby

3 within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Raleigh for work

Where Raleigh’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

32% → Beckley Beckley 32% 4% → Sophia Sophia 4% 4% → Charleston Charleston 4% 4% → MacArthur MacArthur 4% 2% → Bluefield Bluefield 2% 2% → Crab Orchard Crab Orchard 2% Raleigh · 0% stay
7jobs based in Raleigh
0%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Raleigh

Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States

Raleigh is an unincorporated community and coal town in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. Raleigh is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of downtown Beckley. Raleigh has a post office with ZIP code 25911. The community was named for its location within Raleigh County. The Raleigh Coal and Coke Company was the primary mining company within this location.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Elevation
2,228 ft
ZIP code
25911

Questions about Raleigh

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Raleigh, WV a good place to live?

Raleigh has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What is Raleigh, WV known for?

2 notable people were born here, including Lonnie Warwick and William M. Banks.