Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety31#638/924
Economy6#870/925
Housing62#350/925
Health0#924/925
Healthcare41#548/923
Environment97#28/917
Education24#706/925
Infrastructure11#826/925
Community21#727/925
Leisure & amenities34#609/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Hot days · low0 days
98/100West Virginia 10 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
97/100West Virginia 2.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
91/100West Virginia 2.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Severe housing problems · low10.8%
85/100West Virginia 11.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.9%
85/100West Virginia 7.3%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Effective property tax rate · low0.53%
81/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Injury deaths · high178 /100k
1/100West Virginia 151 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high22.4%
1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · high31.2%
2/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · low69.4 yrs
2/100West Virginia 72.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Premature death · high16,966 /100k
2/100West Virginia 12,969 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,719 /100k
2/100West Virginia 4,063 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
2% (2021) → 34% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+31 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
0.1 /1k (2021) → 0.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+106%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.9% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
5.6 /1k (2020) → 9.5 /1k (2025)
+71%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
122.1 /100k (2021) → 38.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−69%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Hot daysImproving
1 days (2011-2020) → 0 days (2016-2025)
−55%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days

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, Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Libraries+20%0.6 /10k → 0.7 /10k
High school++5 points83.1% → 88.1%
Uninsured−3.9 points9.8% → 5.9%
Restaurants+25%5.5 /10k → 6.9 /10k
Broadband+14 points71.9% → 86.1%

Declined6

Arts & recreation−15%4.4 /10k → 3.7 /10k
Suicides+30%20.0 /100k → 26.0 /100k
Gyms−26%0.7 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Firearm deaths+14%18.7 /100k → 21.3 /100k
Grocery stores−7.6%1.8 /10k → 1.7 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.4 /10k2020	3.7 /10k2025	−15%	Declined	9%
Average commute time	23.6 min2015-2019	25.1 min2020-2024	+1.5 min	Within the margin of error	21%
Average weekly wage	$7482020	$9512025	+27%	Improved	80%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.3%2015-2019	20.3%2020-2024	+3 points	Improved	53%
Broadband subscriptions	71.9%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	88%
Child poverty rate	26.5%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Distance to an airport	112 mi2020	112 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	84%
Drug overdose deaths	85.1 /100k2020	38.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−55%	Improved	87%
Effective property tax rate	0.52%2015-2019	0.53%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Firearm deaths	18.7 /100k2020	21.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+14%	Declined	30%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−7.6%	Declined	28%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−26%	Declined	15%
High school diploma or higher	83.1%2015-2019	88.1%2020-2024	+5 points	Improved	96%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	95%
Homicide rate	8.3 /100k2020	4.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−46%	Improved	73%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,0382019	$57,9732024	+32%	Improved	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4442015-2019	0.4602020-2024	+0.017	Within the margin of error	18%
Median household income	$41,7152015-2019	$50,5502020-2024	+21%	Improved	18%
New business applications	5.6 /1k2020	9.5 /1k2025	+71%	Improved	80%
Pharmacies	3.2 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	−9%	Declined	49%
Poverty rate	18.4%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Property crime rate	1,081 /100k2020	1,071 /100k2025	−0.9%	Little change	6%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	+20%	Improved	96%
Rent as share of income	28.4%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	47.9%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Restaurants and bars	5.5 /10k2020	6.9 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	95%
Suicide rate	20.0 /100k2020	26.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+30%	Declined	16%
Traffic deaths	15.9 /100k2015-2019	16.1 /100k2020-2024	+0.9%	Little change	61%
Unemployment rate	8.3%2020	4.7%2025	−3.6 points	Improved	69%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.8%2015-2019	5.9%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Improved	96%
Violent crime rate	323 /100k2020	274 /100k2025	−15%	Improved	48%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area 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, Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area itself moved −0.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

98,187 residents

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

40,514 households (±790)

Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k23%9,175
$25k–50k27%10,974
$50k–75k16%6,476

Homes

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

Owners and renters

40,514 households (±790)

Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%29,775
Rent27%10,739

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

37,161 workers (±957)

Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%30,362
Carpool7.4%2,733
Public transit0.3%†115

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area.

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.

Bluefield, WV-VA has 2,049 employer establishments, 210 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 28,666 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,859. The Census Bureau also counts 5,550 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,049; 5,550 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 210; US 248
Paid employees: 28,666
Average annual pay: $44,859; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Bluefield, WV-VA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	194	19.9	0.96×About typical	2,221	$58,998	204
Restaurants and other eating places	146	15	0.82×About typical	3,165	$17,741	21
Religious organizations	110	11.3	2.04×More than typical	393	$18,677	—
Specialty trade contractors	88	9	0.58×Fewer than typical	751	$54,113	342
Limited-service restaurants	70	7.2	0.90×About typical	1,878	$16,297	7
Offices of physicians	68	7	1.08×About typical	656	$78,974	40
Full-service restaurants	67	6.9	0.90×About typical	1,231	$19,757	10
Gasoline stations	60	6.2	1.90×More than typical	489	$27,070	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	59	6.1	1.20×About typical	289	$48,865	116
Lessors of real estate	51	5.2	0.43×Fewer than typical	109	$42,367	491
Legal services	48	4.9	0.92×About typical	175	$41,840	41
Banks and credit unions	47	4.8	1.49×More than typical	581	$66,005	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 97,362 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.7M on contracts performed in Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area: $17.72 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.7M; −55% vs FY2025
Per resident: $17.72; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.9%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$866.8K51%
Department of the Army$618.9K36%
Public Buildings Service$184.4K11%
Forest Service$27.9K1.6%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$9,2490.5%
Defense Commissary Agency$5,7760.3%

Top recipients

DOUGLAS FOOD STORES INC$1M60%
ARCADIS U.S., INC.$412.4K24%
MC DODD CONSTRUCTION LLC$162.3K9.5%
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALLIANCE LLC$30K1.8%
LAWNWORKS LLC$27.9K1.6%

Spending by fiscal year

3.3MFY2017
4.9MFY2018
3.7MFY2019
7.2MFY2020
3.7MFY2021
2.7MFY2022
4.2MFY2023
4.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing · 3333$676.2K40%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$412.4K24%
Industrial machinery manufacturing · 3332$293K17%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$162.3K9.5%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$69.6K4.1%
Cutlery and handtool manufacturing · 3322

Largest awards

BLDG 120 RECAPITALIZATION WVA$4.2M
ARCADIS U.S., INC.· Mercer County, WV· Construction & real property· Jun 13, 2023 – Jun 9, 2026· W912DS23F0062
KEE FEDERAL BUILDING WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROJECT, BLUEFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA. THIS TASK ORDER IS TO REPLACE THE HISTORIC KEE FEDERAL BUILDING WINDOWS THROUGH THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.$2M
MC DODD CONSTRUCTION LLC· Mercer County, WV· Construction & real property· Jul 23, 2024 – Feb 23, 2026· 47PD0224F0062
MC DODD'S PROPOSAL, 2/25/26, IS HEREBY INCORPORATED FOR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION RENOVATION AT 3014 E CUMBERLAND RD, BLUEFIELD, WV.$162.3K
MC DODD CONSTRUCTION LLC· Mercer County, WV· Construction & real property· Mar 12, 2026 – Mar 19, 2026· 47PC5126F0143

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $846.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area: $8,807 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $846.7M; −8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,807; US $12,955
Loan face value: $19.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$406.4M48%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$104.8M12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$83.7M9.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$67.7M8.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$42.2M5.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$25.3M3.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$16.8M2.0%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$12.6M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

WVDOT DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS$26.3M3.1%
CHARLESTON, WV
CONCORD UNIVERSITY$9.3M1.1%
ATHENS, WV
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE$7.3M0.9%
CEDAR BLUFF, VA
BLUEFIELD STATE UNVERSITY$6.5M0.8%
BLUEFIELD, WV
COMMUNITY ACTION SOUTH EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA INC

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$621.1M73%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$96.3M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$32.7M3.9%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$25.3M3.0%
Department of Education$24.4M

Assistance by fiscal year

818.9MFY2021
805.1MFY2022
834.8MFY2023
872.5MFY2024
920.7MFY2025
846.7MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Bluefield, WV-VA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

States

The share of the area's residents living in each state.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BluefieldPrincipal city9,387

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in West Virginia

Areas based in West Virginia, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M14140

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Bluefield, WV-VA

States

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in West Virginia

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought