Population 11,325 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cheat Lake
Household size in Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.82 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Cheat Lake has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in West Virginia overall, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has edged down from 2.61 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.7 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.1 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Cheat Lake are younger than 41.1 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 42.5, 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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.8% of households in Cheat Lake, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points, as it has nationally. No other West Virginia city with 5,000+ people has a lower 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 Cheat Lake
Renters in Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.5% of households in Cheat Lake rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 35.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Cheat Lake: 6.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 7.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Cheat Lake has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five West Virginia cities.
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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Cheat Lake is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1988 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center 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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $891 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,129 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,091 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,134 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$327 | +$606 |
The median renter in Cheat Lake pays $1,134 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in West Virginia as a whole ($905). Rent has climbed $243 a month since 2006–10, up 27%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Cheat Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.8% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.8% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 53.4% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 59.7% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Cheat Lake is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (59.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 13.8 points, as it has nationally. Cheat Lake has the highest share of college graduates of any West Virginia city with 5,000+ people.
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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.1% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.6% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.2% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Cheat Lake: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only one other West Virginia city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Cheat Lake
| Period | Cheat Lake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.2% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cheat Lake has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Cheat Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheat Lake | 2.56 | 41.1 | 4.8% | 17.5% | 6.8% | 1994 | $1,134 | 59.7% | 97.6% | 2.6% |
| Baker Ridge | 2.17 | 34.0 | 1.9% | 39.9% | 4.7% | 2005 | $1,134 | 57.7% | 96.2% | 5.2% |
| Brookhaven | 2.64 | 37.0 | 14.2% | 15.8% | 7.9% | 1994 | $1,020 | 42.8% | 92.3% | 5.1% |
| Dellslow | 3.06 | 38.3 | 10.4% | 13.5% | 8.9% | 1986 | $929 | 46.0% | 92.8% | 5.5% |
| Morgantown | 2.30 | 32.7 | 7.6% | 51.6% | 14.4% | 1985 | $1,022 | 53.0% | 94.6% | 5.1% |
| Rohr | 2.80 | 43.8 | 10.3% | 12.3% | 8.3% | 1991 | $1,041 | 30.9% | 79.2% | 9.7% |
| West Van Voorhis | 1.89 | 49.9 | 15.8% | 0.0% | 8.1% | 1998 | $984 | 41.5% | 98.7% | 6.2% |
| Lake Lynn | 2.46 | 50.5 | 8.1% | 20.5% | 8.2% | 1979 | $883 | 9.0% | 79.5% | 11.8% |
| Pisgah | 3.00 | 43.2 | 14.8% | 16.4% | 5.3% | 1988 | $735 | 20.9% | 91.9% | 2.9% |
| Point Marion | 2.48 | 42.2 | 6.1% | 27.4% | 10.7% | 1951 | $980 | 15.8% | 84.2% | 3.1% |
| Westover | 2.03 | 43.0 | 5.3% | 43.3% | 6.7% | 1966 | $994 | 33.8% | 92.6% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Minerva, OH · Middlebury, VT · Middlefield, OH · Middlesex, NC · Middleton, MA · Middletown, KY · Midland, NC · Mifflinburg, PA · Miles City, MT · Wingate, NC
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 Cheat Lake. 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.
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