Scores by category

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

Safety56#408/924
Economy50#466/925
Housing87#121/925
Health11#825/925
Healthcare41#545/923
Environment71#264/917
Education65#325/925
Infrastructure43#526/925
Community44#516/925
Leisure & amenities71#270/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Traffic deaths · low5.7 /100k
99/100West Virginia 15.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.7 /10k
95/100West Virginia 2.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100West Virginia 3.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.414
92/100West Virginia 0.471United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high8.3 /10k
92/100West Virginia 5.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low10.5%
88/100West Virginia 11.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Frequent mental distress · high22.7%
1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high5,204 /100k
1/100West Virginia 4,063 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · high31.4%
1/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.1 /1k
3/100West Virginia 2.2 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Adult obesity · high43.0%
8/100West Virginia 41.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · high122 /100k
14/100West Virginia 151 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Violent crime rateWorsening
165 /100k (2019) → 394 /100k (2024)
+139%5 yearsUS 369 /100k → 363 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
5.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
89 /100k (2021) → 162 /100k (2025)
+81%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
0.3 /1k (2021) → 0.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−68%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 13% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.9 /10k (2020) → 1.4 /10k (2025)
+62%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k

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, Fairmont, WV micropolitan area improved on 18 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved18

Restaurants+26%6.6 /10k → 8.3 /10k
Traffic deaths−44%10.3 /100k → 5.7 /100k
Homicides−100%8.2 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Gyms+62%0.9 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Inequality−0.0250.440 → 0.414

Declined1

Uninsured+2 points6.3% → 8.4%

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Fairmont, WV micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.8 /10k2020	8.3 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	78%
Average commute time	24.0 min2015-2019	25.7 min2020-2024	+1.7 min	Within the margin of error	17%
Average weekly wage	$8782020	$1,0952025	+25%	Improved	63%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.6%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Improved	87%
Broadband subscriptions	81.7%2015-2019	90.1%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Improved	44%
Child poverty rate	23.6%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	−5.5 points	Improved	80%
Distance to an airport	70 mi2020	70 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	64.0 /100k2020	23.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−64%	Improved	93%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.61%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Firearm deaths	23.1 /100k2020	15.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−35%	Improved	94%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+1.2%	Little change	56%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+62%	Improved	91%
High school diploma or higher	89.4%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	85%
Homicide rate	8.2 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,0112019	$61,8832024	+24%	Improved	5%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4402015-2019	0.4142020-2024	−0.025	Improved	93%
Median household income	$50,3052015-2019	$67,3702020-2024	+34%	Improved	82%
New business applications	6.3 /1k2020	8.8 /1k2025	+40%	Improved	41%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+1.2%	Little change	76%
Poverty rate	16.4%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Improved	84%
Public libraries	0.9 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	+0.7%	Little change	69%
Rent as share of income	28.4%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	43.7%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Restaurants and bars	6.6 /10k2020	8.3 /10k2025	+26%	Improved	95%
Suicide rate	19.6 /100k2020	17.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.7%	Improved	77%
Traffic deaths	10.3 /100k2015-2019	5.7 /100k2020-2024	−44%	Improved	98%
Unemployment rate	8.4%2020	4.2%2025	−4.2 points	Improved	83%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.3%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	+2 points	Declined	8%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 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; 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 Fairmont, WV micropolitan area five years ago that improved

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

For comparison, Fairmont, WV micropolitan area itself moved +12.2 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

55,909 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

23,339 households (±406)

Fairmont, WV micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%3,918
$25k–50k19%4,513
$50k–75k19%4,416

Homes

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

Owners and renters

23,339 households (±406)

Fairmont, WV micropolitan area
United States share

Own77%17,897
Rent23%5,442

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

25,378 workers (±688)

Fairmont, WV micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%18,920
Carpool10%2,551
Public transit0.5%†118

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 Fairmont, WV 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.

Fairmont, WV has 1,114 employer establishments, 200 for every 10,000 residents (0.80× the US rate of 248), with 14,249 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,365. The Census Bureau also counts 2,877 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,114; 2,877 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 200; US 248
Paid employees: 14,249
Average annual pay: $50,365; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	92	16.5	0.90×About typical	1,502	$18,784	11
Ambulatory health care services	83	14.9	0.71×Fewer than typical	1,005	$74,848	91
Specialty trade contractors	63	11.3	0.73×Fewer than typical	491	$59,141	158
Religious organizations	58	10.4	1.87×More than typical	189	$19,603	—
Construction of buildings	49	8.8	1.16×About typical	203	$56,828	80
Full-service restaurants	43	7.7	1.00×About typical	777	$19,874	7
Limited-service restaurants	42	7.5	0.94×About typical	672	$17,515	4
Automotive repair and maintenance	32	5.7	1.14×About typical	106	$37,934	44
Gasoline stations	32	5.7	1.77×More than typical	236	$26,686	—
Lessors of real estate	29	5.2	0.42×Fewer than typical	58	$36,069	288
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	27	4.8	1.82×More than typical	156	$16,269	30
Building equipment contractors	27	4.8	0.80×About typical	249	$65,092	31

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 55,826 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 $56.4M on contracts performed in Fairmont, WV micropolitan area: $1,014 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $56.4M; −25% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,014; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.0%; 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

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$19.2M34%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$12.4M22%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$11.8M21%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$8.3M15%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$2M3.6%
National Institutes of Health$1.2M2.1%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$720K1.3%
Department of the Army$679.5K1.2%

Top recipients

SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION$11.3M20%
TYGART TECHNOLOGY INC$10.4M18%
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC$8.3M15%
GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INC.$7.4M13%
TMC TECHNOLOGIES OF WEST VIRGINIA CORP$5.9M10%

Spending by fiscal year

98.4MFY2017
89.2MFY2018
113.4MFY2019
68.2MFY2020
87.4MFY2021
97.7MFY2022
80.6MFY2023
200.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer systems design and related services · 5415$25.3M45%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$11.3M20%
Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers · 5111$10.4M18%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$3.1M5.5%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$2.5M4.5%

Largest awards

SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE ASSURANCE SERVICES 2 (SAS2) THE PRINCIPLE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO ACQUIRE SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE ASSURANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING IV&V AND SAFETY AND MISSION ASSURANCE ANALYSIS ON SELECTED SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE BEING DEVELOPED$108.3M
SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION· Marion County, WV· Professional services· Sep 16, 2022 – Sep 24, 2026· 80GSFC22CA049
TO-40: RDHPCS - NESCC COMPUTE AND FILE SYSTEMS UPDATE$99.4M
GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INC.· Marion County, WV· IT & telecom· Aug 27, 2024 – Sep 23, 2026· 1305M424F0170
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO ASSIST CMS WITH THE OVERSIGHT OF SURVEY AND CERTIFICATION ACTIVITIES FOR MEDICARE/MEDICAID PROVIDERS AND SUPPLIERS, INCLUDING THE CONDUCT OF SURVEYS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF STATE SURVEY$23.1M
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC· Marion County, WV

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 $413.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Fairmont, WV micropolitan area: $7,440 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $413.5M; −5.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,440; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$236.3M57%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$41.5M10%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$36.5M8.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$30M7.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$15.2M3.7%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$9.8M2.4%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$8.6M2.1%
93.600 · Head Start$7.9M1.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

WVDOT DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS$11.6M2.8%
CHARLESTON, WV
FAIRMONT MORGANTOWN HO$9.9M2.4%
FAIRMONT, WV
FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY$9.3M2.2%
FAIRMONT, WV
NORTH-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY ACTION ASSOCIATION, INC$8.1M2.0%
FAIRMONT, WV
PIERPONT COMMUNITY & TECH COLLEGE

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$318M77%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$47.3M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$12.3M3.0%
Federal Highway Administration$11.7M2.8%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$9.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

474.5MFY2021
365.7MFY2022
400.5MFY2023
429.6MFY2024
435.6MFY2025
413.5MFY2026

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 Fairmont, 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.

Marion CountyCentral county5455,584

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

FairmontPrincipal city18,221

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21900

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined1

Metro and micro areas like Fairmont, WV 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 Fairmont, WV

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

Improved18

Declined1

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