Census-designated place · Mingo County, West Virginia

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia

Gilbert Creek is a census-designated place in Mingo County, West Virginia. It has 1,061 residents. Gilbert Creek, West Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 6 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,740 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within West Virginia it ranks #145 of 150 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), pharmacies (high) and unemployment rate (low). It ranks worst on depression (high), life expectancy (low) and preventable hospital stays (high).

6Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,740 of 15,651 cities and towns
West Virginia: #145 of 150 in WV
Population: 1,061 (2020-2024)
Land area: 12 mi²
Density: 91.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 5430777

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 70 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety47#8,328/15,637
Economy28#11,205/15,631
Housing—
Health0#15,532/15,609
Healthcare5#14,821/15,650
Environment24#11,686/15,453
Education21#12,400/15,649
Infrastructure20#12,462/15,650
Community6#14,754/15,651
Leisure & amenities36#10,002/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Gilbert Creek, West Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Mingo County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.22%
99/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Pharmacies · high3.7 /10k
99/100West Virginia 2.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMingo County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100West Virginia 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Home price to income ratio · low1.4×
97/100West Virginia 2.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Public libraries · high2.3 /10k
93/100West Virginia 1.0 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMingo County value
Property crime rate · low447 /100k
92/100West Virginia 1,053 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureMingo County value

Weaknesses

Depression · high35.4%
0/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Life expectancy · low65.7 yrs
0/100West Virginia 72.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMingo County value
Preventable hospital stays · high9,843 /100k
0/100West Virginia 4,063 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMingo County value
Frequent mental distress · high25.6%
0/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Drug overdose deaths · high63.6 /100k
1/100West Virginia 36.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMingo County value
Premature death · high22,374 /100k
1/100West Virginia 12,969 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMingo County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,193 (2015-2019) → 1,061 (2020-2024)
−11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
43.9% (2015-2019) → 4.1% (2020-2024)
−40 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherImproving
54.8% (2015-2019) → 77.7% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.9% (2015-2019) → 94.9% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$47,708 (2015-2019) → $82,632 (2020-2024)
+73%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Unemployment rateImproving
9.1% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−9.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Gilbert Creek, West Virginia improved on 2 of 5 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 3 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

High school++23 points54.8% → 77.7%
Broadband+21 points73.9% → 94.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 5 measures

Change of every measure of Gilbert Creek, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.7%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Broadband subscriptions	73.9%2015-2019	94.9%2020-2024	+21 points	Improved	91%
High school diploma or higher	54.8%2015-2019	77.7%2020-2024	+23 points	Improved	100%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3342015-2019	0.3612020-2024	+0.027	Within the margin of error	29%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15075 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Gilbert Creek, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Gilbert Creek, West Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Gilbert Creek, West Virginia five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Gilbert Creek, West Virginia itself moved +10.9 points in standing on average over the same 4 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,061 residents (±447)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (+19.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,061 residents (±447)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

White100%†1,061
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0

Education

615 residents (±229)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

No high school diploma22%†137
High school or GED34%†209
Some college11%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

314 households (±111)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k13%†42
$25k–50k13%†40
$50k–75k24%†74
$75k–100k19%†61
$100k–150k0.0%0
$150k–200k31%†97
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+30.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

314 households (±111)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own100%†314
Rent0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+17.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

44 households (±42)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $75066%†29
$750–1,00034%†15
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

314 homes (±111)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $150k58%†181
$150k–250k20%†64
$250k–400k11%†

Age of homes

475 homes (±141)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

2010 or later15%†73
2000–20098.6%†41
1980–199934%†

Size of homes

475 homes (±141)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms17%†79

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

293 workers (±194)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone100%†293
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.0%0
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

293 workers (±194)

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under 15 min12%†35
15–29 min30%†88
30–44 min36%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Mingo County, the county holding most of Gilbert Creek's residents.

Mingo County has 326 employer establishments, 148 for every 10,000 residents (0.60× the US rate of 248; 0.73× West Virginia's), with 3,211 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,498. The Census Bureau also counts 916 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 326; 916 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 148; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 3,211
Average annual pay: $52,498; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Mingo County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	25	11.4	0.55×Fewer than typical	263	$57,198	33
Specialty trade contractors	19	8.6	0.56×Fewer than typical	147	$56,231	64
Restaurants and other eating places	18	8.2	0.45×Fewer than typical	198	$14,343	9
Truck transportation	18	8.2	1.62×More than typical	118	$54,390	29
Legal services	17	7.7	1.44×More than typical	57	$48,895	6
Religious organizations	16	7.3	1.31×More than typical	54	$14,093	—
Full-service restaurants	13	5.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	97	$13,000	5
Gasoline stations	13	5.9	1.82×More than typical	121	$22,223	3
Individual and family services	11	5	1.79×More than typical	109	$26,404	10
Other specialty trade contractors	11	5	1.99×More than typical	110	$61,536	26
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	10	4.5	1.12×About typical	68	$21,926	11
General merchandise stores	9	4.1	2.32×Too few to compare	56	$22,839	9

Rank places for an industry Open Mingo County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 21,996 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Gilbert Creek, West Virginia: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

179.6KFY2017
4.2KFY2019
10.9KFY2020
22.8KFY2021
0FY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Gilbert Creek, West Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia's figures are part of those of Mingo County, WV ($42.6K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Gilbert Creek is mostly in Mingo County.

See federal money in Mingo County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Gilbert Creek, West Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Carol D. MillerR-WV-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 5.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Mingo County8100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Mingo County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5430777