Signals
Morgantown
Cheat Lake
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs73 · Top 17%
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs70 · Bottom 47%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
89 · Top 4%
vs81 · Top 12%
Access
68 · Bottom 10%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 6%
vs73 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Morgantown | Cheat Lake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,236 | 10,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,727 | $117,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,109 | $67,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,970/sq mi | 760/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $259,400 | $367,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $937 | $1,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.7% | 83.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.5% | 61.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.4% | 6.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 43.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.8 min | 25.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 23.9 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.13 | 15.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.2% | 53.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 56.6% | 55.3% | 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
Morgantown
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Cheat Lake
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Your best match
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Morgantown
56
Your Score
56
Area Score
Cheat Lake
74
Your Score
—
Area Score
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Full profiles: Morgantown, WV · Cheat Lake, WV · How this is calculated: methodology