Wharton, WV Demographics

Population 500 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Wharton, WV map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Wharton

Household size in Wharton

Household size, people per household
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–102.302.442.68
2010–142.572.452.73
2015–192.402.442.71
2020–242.332.432.65
Change+0.03−0.01−0.03
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Wharton 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: 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 Wharton

Median age, years
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1044.841.437.7
2010–1436.442.238.6
2015–1945.943.139.6
2020–2452.443.240.1
Change+7.6+1.9+2.3
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With a median age of 52.4, Wharton is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 44.8 in 2006–10, 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 Wharton

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–105.0%9.7%12.3%
2010–148.8%10.4%12.3%
2015–1911.2%10.6%11.6%
2020–2412.2%10.4%11.6%
Change+7.2 pts+0.6 pts−0.6 pts
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Single parents head about one in eight households in Wharton (12.2%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in West Virginia overall (10.4%).

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 Wharton

Renters in Wharton

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1025.8%25.4%33.3%
2010–1427.4%27.0%35.6%
2015–1927.7%26.8%36.0%
2020–2414.0%25.1%34.8%
Change−11.8 pts−0.3 pts+1.5 pts
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Wharton is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 79.5% 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 Wharton

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1022.7%15.1%11.4%
2010–1416.0%15.0%11.4%
2015–1926.1%16.8%11.1%
2020–2421.2%14.9%9.6%
Change−1.5 pts−0.1 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy is high in Wharton: 21.2% 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 Wharton

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–10195319701974
2010–14196319731975
2015–19197319741977
2020–24195719761980
Change+4+6+6
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Wharton is a place of older homes: half were built before 1957, 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 Wharton

Rent, per month
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–10$446$578$965
2010–14$520$657$1,040
2015–19$652$759$1,213
2020–24$652$905$1,571
Change+$206+$327+$606
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The median renter in Wharton pays $652 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 51.0% of the typical renter's income, 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 Wharton

Bachelor's degrees in Wharton

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–106.6%18.4%28.4%
2010–141.7%19.7%29.6%
2015–194.8%21.4%32.1%
2020–247.2%25.0%35.6%
Change+0.6 pts+6.6 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wharton: 7.2% 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 Wharton

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1059.4%82.5%84.9%
2010–1469.0%84.8%86.1%
2015–1979.3%87.2%87.7%
2020–2484.0%89.4%89.3%
Change+24.6 pts+6.9 pts+4.3 pts
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Nearly one in six adults in Wharton never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.0% 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 Wharton

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodWhartonWest VirginiaU.S.
2006–1012.7%7.2%8.1%
2010–147.3%8.2%9.4%
2015–1911.8%6.7%5.6%
2020–248.7%5.5%5.4%
Change−4.0 pts−1.6 pts−2.7 pts
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Finding work has been harder in Wharton: 8.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above 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).

Wharton compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Wharton2.3352.412.2%14.0%21.2%1957$6527.2%84.0%8.7%
Lindytown2.3352.412.2%14.0%21.2%1957$6527.2%84.0%8.7%
Bim2.3352.412.2%14.0%21.2%1957$6527.2%84.0%8.7%
Twilight2.3452.311.5%13.1%21.1%1961$6787.1%83.6%8.1%
Saunders2.3350.812.5%14.6%16.2%1968$6276.8%81.3%11.9%
Pardee2.3347.413.2%15.9%5.7%1992$5735.8%75.6%18.6%
Bob White2.5448.710.6%17.1%22.3%1965$8656.4%80.8%11.8%
Rock Creek2.4149.46.9%21.4%17.4%1981$5789.4%70.7%1.7%
Cazy2.6247.210.0%19.2%22.7%1968$9516.1%79.6%13.0%
Lorado2.7239.915.2%22.2%6.3%1982$62811.3%83.7%20.2%
Edwight2.4044.16.7%27.1%19.6%1976$5727.5%51.8%0.5%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Harrisburg, NE · St. Petersburg, PA · St. James, TN · Squires, MO · Spring Creek, NC · Spillertown, IL · South Newstead, NY · Herrickville, PA · Haywood, VA · Hatton, MO

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 Wharton. 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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