Population 761 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Short Gap
Household size in Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.19 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Short Gap is a place of small households, averaging 2.19 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.1 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.3 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.3, Short Gap is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.3, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −13.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Short Gap: 7.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Short Gap
Renters in Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.6% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.6% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Short Gap is largely a place of homeowners: only 15.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About half of owners (50.7%) 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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Short Gap: 7.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +6 | +6 |
Short Gap has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $637 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $548 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $798 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $813 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$176 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Short Gap costs $813 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 45.0% 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 Short Gap
Bachelor's degrees in Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Short Gap (27.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of West Virginia.
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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.4% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.1% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Short Gap: 97.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Short Gap
| Period | Short Gap | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Short Gap is close to the national rate: 5.9% of the labor force, against 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).
Short Gap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Gap | 2.19 | 44.3 | 7.2% | 15.6% | 7.1% | 1989 | $813 | 27.5% | 97.3% | 5.9% |
| Bier | 2.57 | 45.8 | 8.1% | 0.0% | 17.4% | 1973 | $771 | 20.1% | 91.2% | 0.0% |
| Fort Ashby | 2.24 | 48.3 | 9.0% | 14.5% | 11.3% | 1980 | $841 | 20.9% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
| Ridgeley | 2.31 | 43.6 | 12.9% | 20.3% | 9.1% | 1990 | $1,052 | 35.0% | 96.2% | 8.9% |
| Patterson Creek | 2.54 | 42.5 | 15.8% | 17.0% | 5.0% | 2001 | $1,297 | 45.3% | 99.4% | 11.2% |
| Cresaptown | 2.43 | 39.7 | 6.5% | 17.8% | 12.5% | 1960 | $938 | 10.5% | 82.7% | 2.9% |
| Rawlings | 2.21 | 44.7 | 15.5% | 23.9% | 14.2% | 1964 | $690 | 16.3% | 86.1% | 0.0% |
| Wiley Ford | 2.45 | 47.2 | 8.9% | 7.2% | 22.4% | 1981 | $873 | 30.5% | 97.7% | 2.5% |
| Dawson | 1.82 | 46.5 | 15.5% | 38.9% | 11.5% | 1953 | $697 | 16.0% | 79.0% | 0.0% |
| Carpendale | 2.46 | 47.5 | 4.5% | 14.5% | 4.8% | 1972 | $697 | 10.1% | 97.7% | 8.3% |
| Midland | 2.83 | 39.1 | 13.3% | 26.7% | 5.1% | 1962 | $714 | 17.5% | 95.0% | 1.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pattonsburg, MO · Placerville, CO · Piney Creek, NC · Pinecliffe, CO · Pierson, IA · Pickensville, AL · Peoa, UT · Peever, SD · Pawlet, VT · Powers, OR
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 Short Gap. 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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