Population 133 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lower Belle
Household size in Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.11 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.30 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lower Belle are small: just 2.15 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. Household size has dropped from 2.45 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.3 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.8 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.1 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.7 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 55.1, Lower Belle is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.9% of households in Lower Belle, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Lower Belle
Renters in Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Lower Belle is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 61.6% have no mortgage at all, 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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Lower Belle: 15.7% of homes are empty, 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. The picture is much the same across West Virginia.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Lower Belle is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $591 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $705 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,014 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $831 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$240 | +$327 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lower Belle pays $831 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 47.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Lower Belle
Bachelor's degrees in Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Lower Belle: 12.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.2% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.8% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.1 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Lower Belle never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Lower Belle
| Period | Lower Belle | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.0% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lower Belle has been low: just 1.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Lower Belle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Belle | 2.15 | 55.1 | 3.9% | 16.6% | 15.7% | 1970 | $831 | 12.7% | 87.3% | 1.0% |
| Marmet | 2.26 | 51.0 | 7.7% | 29.3% | 16.0% | 1967 | $905 | 21.4% | 84.4% | 8.6% |
| Belle | 2.43 | 40.4 | 13.5% | 30.1% | 13.1% | 1964 | $826 | 21.1% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
| Chesapeake | 2.28 | 37.7 | 5.8% | 22.4% | 14.4% | 1960 | $967 | 10.4% | 88.2% | 2.3% |
| Rand | 2.39 | 50.4 | 6.0% | 13.0% | 9.4% | 1974 | $985 | 15.5% | 85.1% | 2.4% |
| Hernshaw | 2.47 | 49.0 | 11.9% | 17.3% | 9.0% | 1974 | $818 | 12.3% | 87.3% | 1.5% |
| Winifrede | 2.59 | 46.4 | 21.6% | 23.1% | 8.5% | 1975 | $547 | 7.2% | 91.0% | 0.4% |
| Cabin Creek | 2.81 | 29.2 | 12.8% | 8.3% | 11.8% | 1958 | $752 | 23.0% | 98.1% | 19.2% |
| East Bank | 2.36 | 52.4 | 19.9% | 27.1% | 23.7% | 1963 | $908 | 15.4% | 89.9% | 1.3% |
| Cedar Grove | 2.11 | 61.6 | 5.9% | 8.2% | 8.9% | 1974 | $624 | 9.1% | 76.8% | 4.1% |
| Glasgow | 2.34 | 50.3 | 8.8% | 18.0% | 9.0% | 1974 | $763 | 10.5% | 82.0% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stark, IL · Spanish B Village, HI · Sparkman, TN · Sparksville, IN · Sparta, VA · Speed, KS · Spelter City, OK · Spires, IL · Spread, WV · Stanley, PA
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 Lower Belle. 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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