Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 482, settled in 1903.
74% of residents live below the poverty line in Red Jacket, against 16% in West Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Red Jacket. Red Jacket’s trail density is 4.8 miles per square mile, above both West Virginia’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Red Jacket has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2017.
Red Jacket is unincorporated, so Mingo 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Red Jacket.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 98 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Red Jacket.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Red Jacket for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Red Jacket fell to 19 in 2023, 253 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Williamson (10%), Beckley (5%) and Charleston (4%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Red Jacket has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 26° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Red Jacket. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Red Jacket. 26% of adults report frequent mental distress in Red Jacket.
| Red Jacket | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Red Jacket | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 29.5% | 16.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.9% | 11% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 14.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Red Jacket; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Red Jacket residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Red Jacket’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Red Jacket is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 525 at the 2020 census (down from 581 at the 2010 census). The community was named for Red Jacket, a Seneca chief.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Red Jacket has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.