Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,389, settled in 1892.
Welch earns a D−, better than 5% of U.S. towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $33K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $49K, 1.6 years of the county’s $32K median household income. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Welch, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower share of children under 18 than Welch. Welch's public schools trail 98% of West Virginia towns on state tests and graduation.
Where Welch beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Welch | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.7% | 11% |
2,406 counted in 2010 and 3,590 in 2020; an estimated 3,389 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 6.3%, after 49.2% growth in the decade before.
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 Welch is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 88% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 1%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 442 in 1900, a peak of 6,603 in 1950, 3,590 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 4 maps from 1912 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Welch, 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 Welch.
Welch trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and draws workers from Bluefield and beyond, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Homes are within reach (about $49K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles. At 1.6 years of the county’s $32K median household income, the typical home (about $49K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of West Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
Typical home values fell 9.7% in the year to September 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the McDowell County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Mount View High School, with 521 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welch Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 189 | D− |
| Mount View High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 521 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
34% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Welch. Among 61 West Virginia towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Welch. 24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Welch.
| Welch | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 18% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 40% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Welch | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 30% | 37.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.7% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1,560 jobs are based in Welch, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 2,228 in 2013 to 1,560.
Only 1 of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare have a lower median household income than Welch. The average trip to work in Welch is 15 minutes. Jobs based in Welch fell to 1,560 in 2023, 668 fewer than in 2013.
| Welch | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $33,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
6.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Welch’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Tug Fork Wildlife Management Area, at 176 acres.
| Welch | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tug Fork Wildlife Management Area | — | 176 |
| 2. Linkous Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
| 3. Martha H. Moore Riverfront Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
211 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 30 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 94% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 211 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Welch.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Welch has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 24° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Welch; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Welch residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where Welch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Welch on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Welch.
City in West Virginia, United States
Welch is a city in and the county seat of McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,590 at the 2020 census. Welch was incorporated as a city in 1893.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Welch grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns. It grades D− for health and D− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
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.
12 notable people were born here, including Steve Harvey and Karen Austin.
