Population 23,196 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Beckley: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Beckley
Household size in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Beckley are small: just 2.34 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.23, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.5 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.1 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Beckley are younger than 41.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in West Virginia overall, where the median age is 43.2. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 42.6, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Beckley (16.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only one other West Virginia city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Beckley
Renters in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.2% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.4% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.0% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.0% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Beckley is about as common as it is nationally: 36.0% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in West Virginia as a whole (25.1%). Just over half of owners (53.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.8 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.2% of the housing in Beckley, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Beckley is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $547 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $631 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $728 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $904 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$358 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Beckley costs $904 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $358 a month from 2006–10, a 65% jump, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 33.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Beckley
Bachelor's degrees in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.9% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Beckley (26.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.1 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.7% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.2% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.1% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Beckley have finished high school as nationally: 88.2%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Beckley has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five West Virginia cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Beckley
| Period | Beckley | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Beckley runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 4.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Beckley compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley | 2.34 | 41.5 | 16.7% | 36.0% | 16.2% | 1968 | $904 | 26.3% | 88.2% | 3.7% |
| Sprague | 2.32 | 42.6 | 23.3% | 56.0% | 6.4% | 1980 | $759 | 42.7% | 95.7% | 5.6% |
| Skelton | 2.47 | 42.4 | 13.4% | 52.6% | 9.4% | 1984 | $871 | 57.0% | 94.4% | 5.1% |
| Mabscott | 2.53 | 41.7 | 14.0% | 25.9% | 16.6% | 1976 | $978 | 22.1% | 82.1% | 14.3% |
| MaCarthur | 2.35 | 45.3 | 17.0% | 18.0% | 12.8% | 1973 | $906 | 12.6% | 88.1% | 11.9% |
| Raleigh | 2.06 | 47.5 | 19.4% | 32.8% | 20.3% | 1959 | $917 | 16.6% | 90.9% | 5.8% |
| Fitzpatrick | 2.31 | 43.7 | 18.0% | 28.9% | 21.2% | 1962 | $861 | 17.3% | 87.0% | 10.0% |
| Stanaford | 2.71 | 45.2 | 12.4% | 29.2% | 7.7% | 1975 | $1,102 | 18.7% | 90.2% | 2.2% |
| Warden | 2.43 | 50.8 | 11.3% | 13.9% | 10.1% | 1965 | $784 | 25.4% | 86.0% | 4.0% |
| Prosperity | 2.86 | 34.2 | 17.6% | 29.1% | 8.0% | 1972 | $946 | 36.8% | 98.3% | 0.6% |
| Lanark | 2.43 | 50.8 | 11.3% | 13.9% | 10.1% | 1965 | $784 | 25.4% | 86.0% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pascagoula, MS · Roxboro, NC · Eden, NC · Lemont, IL · DeBary, FL · Bastrop, TX · Fernley, NV · Crystal, MN · Crescent City, CA · Panama City Beach, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Beckley. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.