Micro area · West Virginia
Elkins, WV micropolitan area
Elkins, WV is a micropolitan area of 1 county in West Virginia, home to 26,882 residents. Elkins, WV micropolitan area has a quality-of-life score of 32 out of 100 (low), ranking #633 of 925 US metro and micro areas. Among metro and micro areas based in West Virginia it ranks #9 of 11. It ranks best on hot days (low), public libraries (high) and severe housing problems (low). It ranks worst on depression (high), frequent mental distress (high) and adult obesity (high).
- Quality-of-life score
- #633 of 925 metro and micro areas
- West Virginia
- #9 of 11 in WV
- Population
- 26,882 (2025)
- Land area
- 1,040 mi²
- Density
- 25.9 /mi²
- CBSA code
- 21180
Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 66 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.
Scores by category
Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.
- Safety51#452/924
- Economy6#873/925
- Housing76#219/925
- Health6#873/925
- Healthcare37#582/923
- Environment94#60/917
- Education16#773/925
- Infrastructure16#781/925
- Community27#678/925
- Leisure & amenities70#276/925
Strengths · Weaknesses
Indicators where Elkins, WV micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).
Strengths
- Hot days · low0 days99/100West Virginia 10 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
- Public libraries · high2.2 /10k97/100West Virginia 1.0 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
- Severe housing problems · low9.4%95/100West Virginia 11.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- Effective property tax rate · low0.39%
- Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k93/100West Virginia 3.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
- Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low6.1 µg/m³83/100West Virginia 7.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Weaknesses
- Depression · high32.3%1/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
- Frequent mental distress · high22.7%1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- Adult obesity · high46.2%1/100West Virginia 41.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- Some college · low42.0%2/100West Virginia 56.7%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- New homes permitted · low0.2 /1k
- Average weekly wage · low$902
Trends
The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.
- New homes permittedImproving
0.0 /1k (2021) → 0.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+315%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
- Drought exposureWorsening
6% (2021) → 32% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+25 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
- Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.4 /10k (2020) → 0.7 /10k (2025)
+108%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
- Homicide rateImproving
4.2 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
- Hot daysImproving
0 days (2011-2020) → 0 days (2016-2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
- New business applicationsImproving
5.1 /1k (2020) → 9.5 /1k (2025)
+87%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
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.
Metro and micro areas like Elkins, WV micropolitan area five years ago that improved
The places whose measures looked most like those of Elkins, WV 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.
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).
Income
How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.
Homes
Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.
Getting to work
How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.
Jobs and pay
What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
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.
Federal contract spending
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.
Counties in Elkins, WV
Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.
Principal cities
The cities the area is named for.
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.
Similar metro and micro areas
Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).
- Bluefield, WV-VA22Alike on Mental distress, Smoking, Natural increase
- Beckley, WV17Alike on Depression, Mental distress, Household income
- Clarksburg, WV45Alike on Mental distress, Housing problems, Depression
- Parkersburg-Vienna, WV47Alike on Mental distress, Depression, Housing problems
- Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH33Alike on Mental distress, Smoking, Depression
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