StanafordWV
A town of 1,449, settled in 1902.
Is Stanaford a good place to live?
Stanaford’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 45% of residents live below the poverty line in Stanaford, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in West Virginia scores higher than Stanaford on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. On history, just 1 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do worse. Stanaford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Stanaford stand out
Where Stanaford beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Stanaford | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 15.3% | 10.6% |
1,449 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Stanaford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Stanaford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stanaford. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National PreserveNew River Gorge National Park and Preserve2.0M visitors a year
7 mi Park & preserveThe Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve
11 mi MuseumThurmond
3 mi MuseumPhillips-Sprague Mine
38 mi MuseumLost World Caverns
17 mi National park siteBluestone National Scenic River12K 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 · 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
Moving to Stanaford: who provides what
Stanaford 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Stanaford.
Stanaford stands out in West Virginia and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor
34% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Stanaford, above both West Virginia’s towns (24%) and U.S. towns (19%). 22% of Stanaford adults report frequent physical distress. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Stanaford.
| Stanaford | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Stanaford | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 14.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.8% | 79.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Stanaford’s schools rank ahead of 62% of West Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Raleigh County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanaford Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 199 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Compared with most of West Virginia and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Stanaford is lower
The FEMA risk score in Stanaford is 4 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fewer young adults than West Virginia overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 5% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 32% of residents (20% statewide). 14% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Stanaford. Only 6 of the 62 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher median age than Stanaford.
| Stanaford | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.6 years | 42.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 14% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 38% and 61% women
The Census survey reached too few of Stanaford’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.7 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Stanaford | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.6% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 28.6% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.3% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 58.7% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.8% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 8.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Stanaford’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Stanaford for work: only 0% work in town. Stanaford’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Beckley (40%), Charleston (4%) and Prosperity (3%).
| Stanaford | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.2% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Stanaford has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Stanaford has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Stanaford.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Stanaford’s typical home value is about $185K
The typical Stanaford home is worth about $185,000, up 2% in a year, close to the West Virginia typical home.
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Stanaford
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Stanaford
About 1 of every 100 Stanaford residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Stanaford has shrunk 10% from 2010 to 2020
1,350 counted in 2010 and 1,215 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Questions about Stanaford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Stanaford, WV expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.