Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Williamson grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $22K, and 49% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 6 places on the National Register. 49% of residents live below the poverty line in Williamson, above both the West Virginia town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 61 in West Virginia we compare has a lower median household income than Williamson. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Williamson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Coal House| Widest gap | Williamson | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.5% | 19.5% |
0.4% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Williamson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 688 in 1900, a peak of 9,410 in 1930, 3,083 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1935 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williamson, 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 Williamson.
Williamson has more trail for its size than nearly any town in West Virginia, sends many workers across the state line to South Williamson and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
At 2.8 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 34 West Virginia towns.
9.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Williamson’s trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile.
| Williamson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lefty Hamilton Park | — | 6 |
| 2. West End Recreational Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Ramella Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Mingo County Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson Pk8Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 502 | B− |
| New Beginnings Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 1–12 | Grades 1–12 | 59 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Against the 115 U.S. towns with household incomes like Williamson’s, it is less healthy than 74%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
34% of Williamson adults say their health is fair or poor. Of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Williamson. 24% of Williamson adults report frequent mental distress.
| Williamson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Williamson | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.5% | 19.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.3% | 16.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.1% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 1.6 years of the county’s $38K median household income, the typical home (about $62K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of West Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Values fell 9.6% in the past year while the West Virginia typical home rose 2.6%.
46% of households own their home in Williamson. Typical home values fell 9.6% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Williamson is $489 a month.
| Williamson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $489 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
465 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 16 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 465 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Williamson. Only 4 of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Williamson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Williamson has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 1 of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare have a higher July high than Williamson.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
51% of working residents cross a state line to work, South Williamson among the top destinations. Jobs based here fell from 1,957 in 2013 to 1,282.
About one in 5 of Williamson’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Williamson has lost 675 jobs, to 1,282 in 2023. The top destinations are South Williamson (6%), Pikeville (6%) and Charleston (4%).
| Williamson | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Williamson; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Williamson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
6 places in Williamson on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in West Virginia, United States
Williamson is a city in and the county seat of Mingo County, West Virginia, United States, along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,042 at the 2020 census. and is the county's largest and most populous city. Williamson is home to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. The Tug Fork River separates Williamson from South Williamson, Kentucky. Williamson is the site of a large rail yard built by the former Norfolk and Western Railroad (now Norfolk Southern Railway), which was built to service the many coal mines of the region. The city is protected by a floodwall, completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1991 in response to devastating floods along the Tug Fork Ri…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Williamson.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson | #61 | D− | B+ | — | C+ | D− |
| Chattaroy | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Williamson reports no FBI crime data of its own. Chattaroy isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Williamson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Williamson grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns. It grades D− for health and C+ for schools. Health 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 B+.
