Burning coke ovens, 1939
Smithers’s story
124 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,232 in 1940, 754 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 6 maps from 1910 on.
- 1902Smithers is settled
SmithersWV
A town of 694, settled in 1902.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
694
2025 Census estimate · −7.1% since 2020
Median home value
$77K
Census ACS
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
52.5
years
Jobs based here
179
Balanced
Is Smithers a good place to live?
26% of residents live below the poverty line in Smithers, above both West Virginia’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a higher median age than Smithers. Smithers has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
694 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MontgomeryBoomerSmithers
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Smithers. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
20 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
26 mi Ancient siteCriel Mound
19 mi MuseumThurmond
10 mi National Recreation AreaGauley River National Recreation Area214K visitors a year21 mi MuseumWest Virginia State MuseumSources: 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 · Criel Mound: David G. Simpson, Public domain · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gauley River National Recreation Area: Wwkayaker22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Smithers: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smithers, and how to reach them.
PowerAppalachian Power17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWest Virginia American WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers82% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Smithers’ trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereFayette Clerk of the County CommissionFayette County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes25186, 2503625186 98% · 25036 1%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 Smithers.
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Smithers, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smithers.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 1991
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Smithers’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Fayette County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley PK-8Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 545 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Who lives here
Older than West Virginia overall
People 65 and older are 36% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 11% of residents (20% statewide). Smithers has lost 7.1% of its people since 2020, down to 694 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 23% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Smithers, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%.
52.5median age · WV 42.7
SmithersWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school42%
Some college18%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 36% and 72% women
The Census survey reached too few of Smithers’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±18.4 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Smithers | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1.8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.8% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.5% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.9% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.2% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.3% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.1% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.8% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.4% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Smithers, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Smithers has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 25° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring42–67°
Summer62–83°
Fall45–68°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Smithers
Most working residents leave Smithers for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Smithers is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Smithers grew to 179 in 2023, 54 more than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Smithers | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Smithers2%
Charleston15%
Beckley7%
Montgomery6%
Falls View5%
23 mi
median commute distance
179
jobs based in Smithers
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Smithers is
Smithers beats the West Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Smithers. Only 5 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Smithers.
| Smithers | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 31% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 12% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Smithers | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 10.6% |
Montgomery General Hospital
1.9 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 Smithers
18pages on Smithers
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Smithers; the nearest are
University of CharlestonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Charleston20.8 mi$33,800 tuitionBridgeValley Community & Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · South Charleston25.3 mi$5,800 in-state tuitionWest Virginia University Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Beckley27.6 mi$8,424 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Smithers residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
About Smithers
City in West Virginia, US
Smithers is a city in Fayette and Kanawha counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located along the Kanawha River, it lies almost entirely in Fayette County. The population was 751 at the 2020 census. The city most likely takes its name from Smithers Creek.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 633 ft
- ZIP code
- 25186
- Area code
- 304
Questions about Smithers
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Smithers, WV a good place to live?
Smithers has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.