City · Barbour County, West Virginia

Philippi, West Virginia

Philippi is a city in Barbour County, West Virginia. It has 2,861 residents. Philippi, West Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 17 out of 100 (very low), ranking #12,946 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within West Virginia it ranks #104 of 150 cities and towns. It ranks best on time spent in the emergency room (low), homicide rate (low) and property crime rate (low). It ranks worst on depression (high), access to exercise opportunities (low) and frequent mental distress (high).

17Very low

Quality-of-life score: #12,946 of 15,651 cities and towns
West Virginia: #104 of 150 in WV
Population: 2,861 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 1,012.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 5463292

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 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.

Safety78#3,411/15,637
Economy6#14,746/15,631
Housing70#4,481/14,977
Health3#15,120/15,609
Healthcare35#10,155/15,650
Environment54#7,090/15,453
Education16#13,077/15,649
Infrastructure3#15,186/15,650
Community7#14,575/15,651
Leisure & amenities32#10,637/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Philippi, West Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Barbour 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

Time spent in the emergency room · low102 min
96/100West Virginia 145 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBarbour County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100West Virginia 3.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBarbour County value
Property crime rate · low393 /100k
93/100West Virginia 1,053 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureBarbour County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.41%
93/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Preventable hospital stays · low1,965 /100k
86/100West Virginia 4,063 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarbour County value
Public libraries · high1.3 /10k
82/100West Virginia 1.0 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesBarbour County value

Weaknesses

Depression · high33.3%
1/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Access to exercise opportunities · low14.5%
1/100West Virginia 58.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarbour County value
Frequent mental distress · high24.2%
1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Math scores · low2.37
2/100West Virginia 2.72United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarbour County value
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100West Virginia 14.5United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBarbour County value
Dental care shortage · high19.0
3/100West Virginia 15.5United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBarbour County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
3,366 (2015-2019) → 2,861 (2020-2024)
−15%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedWorsening
2.1 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
68.7% (2015-2019) → 80.6% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$30,966 (2015-2019) → $45,879 (2020-2024)
+48%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
High school diploma or higherImproving
80.2% (2015-2019) → 88.3% (2020-2024)
+8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Average commute timeWorsening
22.5 min (2015-2019) → 28.4 min (2020-2024)
+26%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

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, Philippi, West Virginia improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 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

Household income+48%$30,966 → $45,879
Broadband+12 points68.7% → 80.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Philippi, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.5 min2015-2019	28.4 min2020-2024	+5.8 min	Within the margin of error	8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.6%2015-2019	17.4%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Broadband subscriptions	68.7%2015-2019	80.6%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	68%
Child poverty rate	47.8%2015-2019	48.6%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Effective property tax rate	0.51%2015-2019	0.41%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
High school diploma or higher	80.2%2015-2019	88.3%2020-2024	+8.1 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	−0.8×	Within the margin of error	96%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5162015-2019	0.4312020-2024	−0.085	Within the margin of error	93%
Median household income	$30,9662015-2019	$45,8792020-2024	+48%	Improved	83%
Poverty rate	30.8%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	26.8%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent-burdened households	39.5%2015-2019	36.4%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	67%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 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 Philippi, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Philippi, 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.

For comparison, Philippi, West Virginia itself moved +6.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

2,861 residents (±16)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

1,224 households (±131)

Philippi, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k33%†409
$25k–50k25%†310
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,224 households (±131)

Philippi, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own56%691
Rent44%533

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,014 workers (±184)

Philippi, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone77%783
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0

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 Barbour County, the county holding most of Philippi's residents.

Barbour County has 217 employer establishments, 140 for every 10,000 residents (0.57× the US rate of 248; 0.69× West Virginia's), with 3,120 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,019. The Census Bureau also counts 713 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 217; 713 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 140; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 3,120
Average annual pay: $55,019; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	18	11.7	0.63×Fewer than typical	209	$13,632	4
Truck transportation	14	9.1	1.79×More than typical	33	$32,697	20
Construction of buildings	12	7.8	1.03×About typical	41	$33,415	34
Specialty trade contractors	12	7.8	0.50×Fewer than typical	68	$38,382	59
Ambulatory health care services	10	6.5	0.31×Fewer than typical	150	$59,827	22
Religious organizations	10	6.5	1.17×About typical	26	$12,538	—
Full-service restaurants	9	5.8	0.76×Too few to compare	109	$12,321	—
Lessors of real estate	7	4.5	0.37×Too few to compare	17	$30,412	34
Limited-service restaurants	7	4.5	0.56×Too few to compare	94	$15,904	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	6	3.9	1.46×Too few to compare	14	$15,357	4
Automotive repair and maintenance	5	3.2	0.64×Too few to compare	8	$43,500	17
Gasoline stations	5	3.2	1.00×Too few to compare	67	$26,836	—

Rank places for an industry Open Barbour County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 15,448 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 -$23.96 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Philippi, West Virginia: -$0.01 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$23.96
Per resident: -$0.01; US $1,994
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

MOI, INC.-$23.960.0%

Spending by fiscal year

180.2FY2017
3.2KFY2018
46.7FY2019
4.1KFY2023
0FY2024
-586.6FY2025
-24FY2026

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 Philippi, West Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Philippi, West Virginia's figures are part of those of Barbour County, WV ($107.5K 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: Philippi is mostly in Barbour County.

See federal money in Barbour 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.

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

House

Riley M. MooreR-WV-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.8%

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.

Barbour County25100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Barbour 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/5463292

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends