Population 809 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lester
Household size in Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.19 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lester are small: just 2.19 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 dropped from 2.30, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.1 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.5 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.4 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.3 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Lester skews older: half of its residents are older than 54.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Lester than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of West Virginia.
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 Lester
Renters in Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.5% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Lester rent their homes (25.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same. About two-thirds of owners (66.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.4% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 20.4% of the housing in Lester, 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.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Lester is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $582 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $686 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $926 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $679 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$97 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lester costs $679 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Lester
Bachelor's degrees in Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.4%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.8% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.9% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.6% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.9% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Lester never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +11.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lester runs well above the national rate: 17.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Lester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lester | 2.19 | 54.4 | 10.4% | 25.5% | 20.4% | 1986 | $679 | 12.4% | 77.9% | 17.2% |
| Glen White | 2.16 | 45.7 | 12.9% | 31.2% | 20.1% | 1977 | $750 | 16.2% | 75.5% | 2.7% |
| Surveyor | 3.32 | 45.5 | 27.1% | 15.6% | 25.8% | 1986 | $653 | 9.1% | 81.0% | 0.1% |
| Slab Fork | 2.61 | 62.3 | 7.9% | 6.0% | 18.9% | 1989 | $653 | 15.0% | 89.6% | 44.4% |
| Sophia | 2.29 | 42.5 | 16.6% | 34.9% | 15.7% | 1971 | $881 | 22.7% | 80.2% | 13.1% |
| Eccles | 2.61 | 42.3 | 23.6% | 24.4% | 7.7% | 1974 | $956 | 15.5% | 84.4% | 1.6% |
| Fairdale | 2.20 | 62.0 | 9.9% | 11.9% | 16.9% | 1987 | $653 | 14.6% | 85.4% | 13.6% |
| Crab Orchard | 2.17 | 52.8 | 17.3% | 14.9% | 17.9% | 1981 | $1,012 | 23.1% | 83.4% | 7.6% |
| Glen Rogers | 3.39 | 38.3 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 22.6% | 1967 | $650 | 12.0% | 83.0% | 8.0% |
| Bolt | 2.40 | 62.0 | 9.8% | 1.7% | 14.8% | 1986 | $646 | 17.0% | 87.8% | 14.5% |
| Princewick | 2.17 | 32.9 | 47.8% | 53.7% | 1.5% | 2001 | $961 | 28.2% | 96.1% | 10.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Council Hill, OK · Stanley, LA · Dorchester Estates, SC · Deer Park, WI · Dearborn, MO · Dawson, TX · Dana, IN · Damascus, PA · Daisetta, TX · Cromwell, MN
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 Lester. 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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