City · Jackson County, West Virginia

Ravenswood, West Virginia

Ravenswood is a city in Jackson County, West Virginia. It has 3,830 residents. Ravenswood, West Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 9 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,243 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within West Virginia it ranks #135 of 150 cities and towns. It ranks best on property crime rate (low), unemployment rate (low) and homicide rate (low). It ranks worst on depression (high), frequent mental distress (high) and rent as share of income (high).

9Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,243 of 15,651 cities and towns
West Virginia: #135 of 150 in WV
Population: 3,830 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 2,107.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 5467108

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 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.

Safety69#4,790/15,637
Economy11#13,973/15,631
Housing28#10,848/14,977
Health2#15,333/15,609
Healthcare21#12,358/15,650
Environment18#12,650/15,453
Education47#8,322/15,649
Infrastructure9#14,289/15,650
Community16#13,219/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,307/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Property crime rate · low95 /100k
100/100West Virginia 1,053 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationJackson 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
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100West Virginia 3.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataJackson County value
Average commute time · low18.9 min
84/100West Virginia 26.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Time spent in the emergency room · low127 min
83/100West Virginia 145 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesJackson County value
Drought exposure · low11%
80/100West Virginia 31%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAJackson County value

Weaknesses

Depression · high34.2%
0/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Frequent mental distress · high24.6%
1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100West Virginia 29.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Median household income · low$34,241
3/100West Virginia $60,662United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Adult smoking · high23.5%
3/100West Virginia 21.4%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Adult obesity · high45.5%
4/100West Virginia 41.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

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

Rent as share of incomeWorsening
39.4% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
25.7% (2015-2019) → 16.4% (2020-2024)
−9.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.9% (2015-2019) → 76.5% (2020-2024)
+8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Average commute timeImproving
29.4 min (2015-2019) → 18.9 min (2020-2024)
−36%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Unemployment rateImproving
6.8% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
25.4% (2015-2019) → 31.4% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Ravenswood, West Virginia improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined2

Bachelor's+−9.3 points25.7% → 16.4%
Rent / income+12 points39.4% → 51.0%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Ravenswood, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	29.4 min2015-2019	18.9 min2020-2024	−10.5 min	Within the margin of error	99%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.7%2015-2019	16.4%2020-2024	−9.3 points	Declined	2%
Broadband subscriptions	67.9%2015-2019	76.5%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Child poverty rate	42.0%2015-2019	42.6%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Effective property tax rate	0.62%2015-2019	0.63%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	16%
High school diploma or higher	91.1%2015-2019	90.1%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	45%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5222015-2019	0.6432020-2024	+0.121	Within the margin of error	3%
Median household income	$40,4842015-2019	$34,2412020-2024	−15%	Within the margin of error	2%
Poverty rate	25.4%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent as share of income	39.4%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	7%
Rent-burdened households	66.4%2015-2019	72.1%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Within the margin of error	35%

“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 Ravenswood, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ravenswood, 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, Ravenswood, West Virginia itself moved −4.1 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

3,830 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

1,714 households (±214)

Ravenswood, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k41%†696
$25k–50k21%†352
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,714 households (±214)

Ravenswood, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own69%1,191
Rent31%†523

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,213 workers (±348)

Ravenswood, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone64%†781
Carpool4.4%†53
Public transit

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 Jackson County, the county holding most of Ravenswood's residents.

Jackson County has 472 employer establishments, 171 for every 10,000 residents (0.69× the US rate of 248; 0.84× West Virginia's), with 6,630 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,535. The Census Bureau also counts 1,498 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 472; 1,498 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 171; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 6,630
Average annual pay: $50,535; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	40	14.5	0.70×Fewer than typical	254	$49,567	50
Restaurants and other eating places	38	13.8	0.75×Fewer than typical	786	$15,683	5
Specialty trade contractors	27	9.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	172	$57,709	99
Religious organizations	23	8.3	1.50×More than typical	80	$20,075	—
Gasoline stations	20	7.2	2.23×More than typical	228	$27,965	—
Limited-service restaurants	20	7.2	0.90×About typical	535	$15,994	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	18	6.5	1.29×More than typical	101	$37,713	27
Full-service restaurants	15	5.4	0.71×Fewer than typical	234	$15,709	—
Building equipment contractors	13	4.7	0.78×Fewer than typical	106	$63,245	23
Offices of other health practitioners	13	4.7	0.78×Fewer than typical	39	$46,359	26
Banks and credit unions	12	4.3	1.35×More than typical	135	$41,104	—
Building material and supplies dealers (hardware, home centers)	11	4	2.42×More than typical	102	$57,833	—

Rank places for an industry Open Jackson County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 27,605 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 Ravenswood, 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

124.5KFY2017
126.5KFY2018
10.2KFY2019
-1.8KFY2020
-545.5FY2021
4.1KFY2022
0FY2023
0FY2024

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 Ravenswood, West Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Jackson 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.

Ravenswood, 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.

Jackson County23100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Jackson 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/5467108

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends