Population 3,412 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Terra Alta
Household size in Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Terra Alta is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.54 in 2006–10, 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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.3 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.8 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.3 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.5 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Terra Alta is 43.3 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same.
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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Terra Alta (9.8%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same.
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 Terra Alta
Renters in Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Terra Alta rent their homes (25.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. The picture is much the same across West Virginia. Among homeowners, 52.3% 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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.8% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Terra Alta: 25.1% 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.
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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Terra Alta are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, 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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $367 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $518 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $651 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $863 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$496 | +$327 | +$606 |
The median renter in Terra Alta pays $863 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of West Virginia. The typical renter here spends 34.0% 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 Terra Alta
Bachelor's degrees in Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Terra Alta: 14.8% 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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.3% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.9% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Terra Alta never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.2% 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 Terra Alta
| Period | Terra Alta | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Terra Alta is close to 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).
Terra Alta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Alta | 2.33 | 43.3 | 9.8% | 25.8% | 25.1% | 1976 | $863 | 14.8% | 85.2% | 6.0% |
| Hopemont | 2.61 | 36.9 | 8.6% | 28.2% | 15.7% | 1967 | $691 | 8.6% | 81.4% | 10.7% |
| White Oak Springs | 2.00 | 56.1 | 2.0% | 17.9% | 52.0% | 1995 | $1,018 | 24.7% | 94.5% | 9.0% |
| Rodemer | 2.25 | 50.3 | 8.0% | 10.6% | 21.2% | 1972 | $731 | 14.6% | 87.6% | 1.1% |
| Hutton | 2.77 | 37.1 | 13.1% | 3.0% | 17.1% | 1990 | $802 | 30.7% | 86.5% | 8.2% |
| St. Joe | 2.77 | 36.4 | 9.4% | 26.3% | 5.4% | 1976 | $919 | 13.7% | 81.0% | 3.0% |
| Turner Douglass | 2.01 | 54.4 | 8.8% | 27.2% | 26.3% | 1958 | $932 | 12.8% | 90.8% | 0.0% |
| Orr | 2.08 | 53.6 | 1.4% | 3.7% | 16.1% | 1988 | $793 | 18.9% | 91.4% | 0.8% |
| Oakland | 2.27 | 46.1 | 10.6% | 24.2% | 21.1% | 1979 | $846 | 29.5% | 90.2% | 5.3% |
| Cranesville | 2.03 | 54.8 | 0.8% | 0.0% | 14.5% | 1988 | $799 | 19.1% | 92.1% | 0.0% |
| Aurora | 2.13 | 50.2 | 8.6% | 28.4% | 24.1% | 1962 | $931 | 13.6% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Holton, MI · Window Rock, AZ · Waynesburg, OH · Waterloo, IN · Volga, SD · Thorsby, AL · Stockdale, TX · Ronks, PA · Ridgway, CO · Parchman, MS
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 Terra Alta. 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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