25801 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
25801
25309
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 8%
vs39 · Bottom 20%
Growth
1 · Bottom 1%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Climate
66 · Bottom 38%
vs75 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
58 · Bottom 49%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 12%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
49 · Bottom 46%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
4 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
21 · Bottom 3%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | 25801 | 25309 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,128 | 12,154 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,836 | $57,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,849 | $36,613 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 314/sq mi | 391/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $158,900 | $158,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $882 | $773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.2% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 27.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.4% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | -33.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.5" | 46.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 113 mi | 121 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 45.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.48 | 15.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.5% | 32.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.9% | 27.7% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
25801
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave.
25309
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 25801 — Beckley, WV · 25309 — South Charleston, WV · How this is calculated: methodology