Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Spencer’s subject grades is an A− for history; the weakest is a D− for health. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Spencer, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 3 of West Virginia’s 140 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 81% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Spencer has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Robey Theatre and Albert S. Heck Mansion. Spencer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Spencer beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Albert S. Heck Mansion| Widest gap | Spencer | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 35.4% | 19.5% |
2,322 counted in 2010 and 2,063 in 2020; an estimated 1,895 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Spencer is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 196 in 1860, a peak of 2,799 in 1980, 2,063 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1907 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Spencer, and how to reach them.
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 Spencer.
37% of Spencer adults say their health is fair or poor, above both West Virginia’s towns (24%) and U.S. towns (19%). 25% of Spencer adults report frequent mental distress. Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Spencer.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Spencer | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 35.4% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 26.6% | 16.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 17.1% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Roane County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 299 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
About one in 4 of Spencer’s working residents works in town. Spencer’s median household income is $38,000. Since 2013, Spencer has lost 155 jobs, to 1,318 in 2023.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $38,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1997, 37 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Spencer.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Spencer home is worth about $117,000, up 5.3% in a year, 34% below the West Virginia typical home. 57% of households own their home in Spencer.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $738 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The property crime rate in Spencer is 26.6 per 1,000 residents. Among 32 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower violent crime rate than Spencer.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 26.6 per 1,000 residents | 16.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Spencer has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 23° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Spencer has lost 6.7% of its people since 2020, down to 1,895 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 17% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.8 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Spencer | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.5% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.6% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.9% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.3% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.6% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.2% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,900, single groups can be off by several points
0.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Among 55 West Virginia towns, just 5 have a lower trail density than Spencer.
| Spencer | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alvord Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Washington Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Spencer; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Spencer residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Spencer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Spencer.
City in West Virginia, US
Spencer is a city in and the county seat of Roane County, West Virginia, United States. Originally known as "California," Spencer was chartered in 1858, and named after Spencer Roane (1762–1822), a distinguished jurist from Virginia, who served on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, and for whom Roane County was named. The population was 2,062 at the 2020 census. Spencer is the home of the annual West Virginia Black Walnut Festival. Points of interest include Charles Fork Lake, Chrystal Water and Power Company-Spencer Water and Ice Company, the McIntosh Mansion, and the Robey Theatre.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.6 years of the area's median household income ($45,778 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
4 notable people were born here, including Ruby Bradley and Derek Hardman.
