SpragueWV
A town of 952 in West Virginia.
Is Sprague a good place to live?
Sprague’s typical journey to work is 12 minutes, below both West Virginia’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Sprague. Sprague has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
952 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sprague.
Natural hazards: very low risk in Sprague, mostly inland flooding
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 93% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Sprague than in most of West Virginia or the rest of the country
The top destinations are Beckley (39%), Charleston (3%) and Prosperity (2%). Jobs based in Sprague grew to 391 in 2023, 40 more than in 2013. Its typical household income stands at $65,000.
| Sprague | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sprague stands out in West Virginia and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is cooler
Winters in Sprague are chilly, snowy and summers pleasant. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 23° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Young adults are less common in Sprague than in West Virginia
In Sprague, the age of the median resident is 44 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (21% statewide). For adults 25 and older here, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 19%. 23% never finished high school.
| Sprague | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 19% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 44 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Sprague | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 21.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.9% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.9% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.4% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 22.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.1% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.4% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.1% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
How healthy Sprague is
Among adults in Sprague, 21% report frequent mental distress. In Sprague, 36% of adults feel lonely, and 42% sleep under 7 hours.
| Sprague | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sprague | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.6% | 19.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 7% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Protected land: 2.2% of Sprague
Sprague has one park or preserve, 9 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lewis McManus Walking Trail | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median home in Sprague sells for about $27K
In Sprague, 79% of households live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Sprague
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sprague. Close and well known come first.
5 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
9 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
in town MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
13 mi MuseumThurmond
17 mi National park siteBluestone National Scenic River12K visitors a year
28 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 · Phillips-Sprague Mine: Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thurmond: Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia), 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 Sprague: who provides what
Sprague 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.
99% of working residents leave Sprague for work
Where Sprague’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Sprague
About 0 of every 100 Sprague residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
About Sprague
Unincorporated community and census-designated place in West Virginia, United States
Sprague is an unincorporated community and coal town in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. Sprague is located on West Virginia Route 16, 1 mile (1.6 km) north of downtown Beckley. Sprague has a post office with ZIP code 25926. As of the 2020 census, Sprague had a population of 1,289. The community was named in 1902.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 2,369 ft
Questions about Sprague
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sprague, WV a good place to live?
Sprague has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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