Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in West Union, below both West Virginia’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). West Union has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Doddridge County Courthouse and Lathrop Russell Charter House. West Union has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where West Union beats most towns.
Census counts: 356 in 1880, a peak of 1,341 in 1950, 653 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Union, 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 West Union.
The share of residents in West Union who live below the poverty line: 19%. Most people who work leave West Union to do it: just 13% work in town. The town had 403 jobs in 2023, down 177 from 2013. For West Union, the average trip to work is 27 minutes.
| West Union | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 14% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1985, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Union. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 84% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in West Union after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2017. 92% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Union: four in five households own their home, where West Virginia’s towns sit at 68% and U.S. towns at 73%. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 11%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
647 people lived in West Union by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 2.4% fewer than in 2020. Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (20% statewide). For West Union, the midpoint age is 41.7 years.
Somewhere between 27% and 70% women
The Census survey reached too few of West Union’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±21.4 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| West Union | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 16% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.6% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.1% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.9% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.2% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.9% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.9% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 4.8% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 22°; snowfall runs to about 23 inches a winter. West Union brings chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among adults in West Union, 18% report frequent physical distress. In West Union, 21% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 44% sleep under 7 hours.
| West Union | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 40% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| What stands out | West Union | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.1% | 19.5% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 47.2% | 55.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of West Union
About 8 of every 100 West Union residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
6 places in West Union on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in West Union.
Town in West Virginia
West Union is a town in and the county seat of Doddridge County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 669 at the 2020 census. The town is located along Middle Island Creek at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 18; the North Bend Rail Trail also passes through the town. It was incorporated on July 20, 1881.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
West Union has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Bob Childers and Thomas McElhiney.
