Scores by category

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

Safety87#117/924
Economy47#493/925
Housing34#614/925
Health46#502/925
Healthcare91#82/923
Environment75#228/917
Education85#144/925
Infrastructure60#370/925
Community21#730/925
Leisure & amenities83#159/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Primary care physicians · high128 /100k
98/100West Virginia 80 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · high113 /100k
98/100West Virginia 60 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low24.0%
91/100West Virginia 21.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Hot days · low3 days
91/100West Virginia 10 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · high1.7 /10k
90/100West Virginia 0.8 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.45%
90/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

New homes permitted · low0.3 /1k
5/100West Virginia 2.2 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.498
5/100West Virginia 0.471United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Voter turnout · low49.2%
6/100West Virginia 54.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Depression · high29.4%
6/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high20.7%
9/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high3,813 /100k
12/100West 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.

New homes permittedImproving
0.1 /1k (2021) → 0.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+70%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
48.3 /100k (2021) → 19.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−59%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 11% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateImproving
4.4 /100k (2021) → 2.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−51%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
227 /100k (2021) → 328 /100k (2025)
+44%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,290 /100k (2020) → 720 /100k (2025)
−44%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, Morgantown, WV metro area improved on 14 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 7 moved within the margin of error and 7 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

Restaurants+27%9.6 /10k → 12.2 /10k
Arts & recreation+33%5.7 /10k → 7.6 /10k
Bachelor's++4.4 points35.7% → 40.1%
Traffic deaths−9.6%11.7 /100k → 10.6 /100k
Firearm deaths−18%15.5 /100k → 12.7 /100k

Declined4

Transit use−1.3 points2.2% → 0.9%
Grocery stores−27%1.4 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Uninsured+1.1 points5.8% → 6.9%
Price / income+0.3×3.3× → 3.6×

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Morgantown, WV metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.7 /10k2020	7.6 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	90%
Average commute time	22.9 min2015-2019	23.1 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Average weekly wage	$1,0732020	$1,2872025	+20%	Improved	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.7%2015-2019	40.1%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Improved	84%
Broadband subscriptions	83.7%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Improved	13%
Child poverty rate	16.9%2015-2019	16.7%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Distance to an airport	64 mi2020	64 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	91%
Drug overdose deaths	35.0 /100k2020	19.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−44%	Improved	73%
Effective property tax rate	0.50%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	−0 points	Little change	20%
Firearm deaths	15.5 /100k2020	12.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−18%	Improved	79%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	5%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+3%	Little change	50%
High school diploma or higher	90.8%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	62%
Homicide rate	2.6 /100k2020	2.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−15%	Improved	37%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,9282019	$61,2702024	+25%	Improved	9%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5072015-2019	0.4982020-2024	−0.009	Within the margin of error	77%
Median household income	$52,3322015-2019	$64,6402020-2024	+24%	Improved	31%
New business applications	7.8 /1k2020	10.1 /1k2025	+30%	Improved	27%
Pharmacies	2.1 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−4.6%	Little change	59%
Poverty rate	19.5%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Property crime rate	1,290 /100k2020	720 /100k2025	−44%	Improved	73%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−1.5%	Little change	52%
Public transit commuters	2.2%2015-2019	0.9%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Declined	10%
Rent as share of income	31.1%2015-2019	32.4%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Rent-burdened households	51.6%2015-2019	53.9%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Restaurants and bars	9.6 /10k2020	12.2 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	96%
Suicide rate	16.4 /100k2020	17.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.9%	Little change	49%
Traffic deaths	11.7 /100k2015-2019	10.6 /100k2020-2024	−9.6%	Improved	76%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2020	3.6%2025	−3 points	Improved	49%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.8%2015-2019	6.9%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Declined	18%
Violent crime rate	153 /100k2020	147 /100k2025	−4.2%	Little change	31%

“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 Morgantown, WV metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Morgantown, WV metro 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, Morgantown, WV metro area itself moved −1.2 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

141,323 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

57,438 households (±661)

Morgantown, WV metro area
United States share

Under $25k20%11,489
$25k–50k21%11,858
$50k–75k16%9,114

Homes

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

Owners and renters

57,438 households (±661)

Morgantown, WV metro area
United States share

Own63%36,256
Rent37%21,182

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

68,357 workers (±1,340)

Morgantown, WV metro area
United States share

Drive alone72%49,405
Carpool8.9%6,066
Public transit0.9%†608

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Morgantown, WV employ 16,010 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Morgantown, WV by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses4,510 jobs	4,510	$80,130US $97,550	−18%	3.08×
Retail Salespersons2,090 jobs	2,090	$28,570US $35,410	−19%	1.24×
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary1,400 jobs	1,400	$60,300US $107,310	−44%	15×
Cashiers1,370 jobs	1,370	$27,370US $32,880	−17%	1.02×
Nursing Assistants1,310 jobs	1,310	$35,880US $42,260	−15%	2.09×
General and Operations Managers1,280 jobs	1,280	$89,440US $105,770	−15%	0.84×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,150 jobs	1,150	$31,110US $37,330	−17%	0.93×
Waiters and Waitresses1,040 jobs	1,040	$35,480US $35,230	+1%	1.06×
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General940 jobs	940	$37,390US $49,590	−25%	1.41×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners920 jobs	920	$30,180US $36,840	−18%	0.96×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Morgantown, WV.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Morgantown, WV has 2,990 employer establishments, 211 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 55,579 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,467. The Census Bureau also counts 8,617 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,990; 8,617 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 211; US 248
Paid employees: 55,579
Average annual pay: $57,467; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	278	19.6	1.07×About typical	5,489	$20,089	42
Ambulatory health care services	233	16.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	6,513	$122,056	426
Specialty trade contractors	172	12.2	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,897	$62,088	424
Lessors of real estate	169	11.9	0.97×About typical	694	$49,764	1,007
Construction of buildings	139	9.8	1.30×More than typical	691	$55,245	238
Limited-service restaurants	129	9.1	1.14×About typical	2,186	$18,466	18
Full-service restaurants	117	8.3	1.08×About typical	2,861	$22,041	17
Religious organizations	86	6.1	1.10×About typical	434	$22,431	—
Legal services	76	5.4	1.00×About typical	409	$78,027	114
Services to buildings and dwellings	75	5.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,211	$38,884	397
Truck transportation	71	5	0.99×About typical	266	$54,639	163
Gasoline stations	69	4.9	1.50×More than typical	719	$26,399	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 141,509 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 $423M on contracts performed in Morgantown, WV metro area: $2,979 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $423M; −3.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,979; US $1,995
Sole-source: 4.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.7%; 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

Department of Energy$326.5M77%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$38.5M9.1%
Department of the Army$19.9M4.7%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$18.2M4.3%
U.S. Marshals Service$8.8M2.1%
Department of the Air Force$6.7M1.6%
Federal Acquisition Service$3.3M0.8%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$742.6K0.2%

Top recipients

LEIDOS, INC.$153.4M36%
KBC ENERGY SOLUTIONS LLC$44.4M10%
WASEYABEK FEDERAL SERVICES, L.L.C.$38.6M9.1%
ACTION FACILITIES MANAGEMENT INC$37.6M8.9%
KEYLOGIC, LLC$36.6M8.7%

Spending by fiscal year

247.6MFY2017
268.1MFY2018
275.2MFY2019
294.2MFY2020
324.5MFY2021
303.4MFY2022
440.4MFY2023
519.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$177.1M42%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$88.1M21%
Facilities support services · 5612$79.5M19%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$39.5M9.3%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$17M4.0%

Largest awards

RESEARCH SUPPORT SERVICES (RSS)$1.1B
LEIDOS, INC.· Monongalia County, WV· Professional services· Jun 25, 2018 – Sep 25, 2026· 89243318CFE000003
" " DE-SOL-0005388 MISSION EXECUTION AND AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS (MESA) SUPPORT SERVICES$291.3M
KEYLOGIC, LLC· Monongalia County, WV· Professional services· Nov 8, 2016 – Sep 28, 2026· DEFE0025912
SITE OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES IV (SOS IV) NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY SBA REQUIREMENT NUMBER - 0390/19/900028/01$226.8M
WE2 SUPPORT SERVICES 8A JV LLC· Monongalia County, WV· Facilities & utilities· Dec 19, 2019 – Jul 8, 2026· 89243320CFE000041
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS SUPPORT SERVICES

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 $829.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Morgantown, WV metro area: $5,840 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $829.2M; −1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,840; US $12,957
Loan face value: $20.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$438.5M53%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$69.1M8.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$55.4M6.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$47M5.7%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$35.6M4.3%
20.937 · National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega Projects)$24.4M2.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$21.3M2.6%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$11.8M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION$54.1M6.5%
MORGANTOWN, WV
WVDOT DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS$47.3M5.7%
CHARLESTON, WV
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY$44.9M5.4%
MORGANTOWN, WV
CITY OF MORGANTOWN$7M0.9%
MORGANTOWN, WV
SKYWEST AIRLINES INC$5.8M

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$562.2M68%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$80.9M9.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$48.1M5.8%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$40.6M4.9%
National Institutes of Health$32.3M

Assistance by fiscal year

830.1MFY2021
779.9MFY2022
810.9MFY2023
883.8MFY2024
841.2MFY2025
829.2MFY2026

County aggregates

78%

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 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Morgantown, 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.

MorgantownPrincipal city30,236

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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M34060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Morgantown, WV metro 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

Look up any occupation

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 Morgantown, 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

Improved14

Declined4

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

Look up any occupation

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