Preston County, West Virginia (WV)

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County population in July 2007: 30,254 (12% urban, 88% rural)
County owner-occupied houses and condos: 9,596
Renter-occupied apartments: 1,948

% of renters here:	17%
State:	25%

Land area: 648 sq. mi.
Water area: 3.1 sq. mi.

Population density: 45 people per square mile

(average).

Residents with income below the poverty level in 1999:

This county:	18.3%
Whole state:	17.9%

Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 1999:

This county:	7.1%
Whole state:	7.6%

2008 cost of living index in Preston County: 82.3 (low, U.S. average is 100)

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Industries providing employment: Educational,health and social services (22.1%), Retail trade (13.2%), Manufacturing (12.5%).

Type of workers:

Private wage or salary: 75%
Government: 17%
Self-employed, not incorporated: 8%
Unpaid family work: 1%

Preston County, West Virginia business data: stores, dealers, real estate agents, wholesalers, restaurants...

Races in Preston County, West Virginia:

White Non-Hispanic (98.3%)
Hispanic (0.6%)
Two or more races (0.5%)

Median resident age:	39.1 years
West Virginia median age:	38.9 years

Males: 14,535	(49.6%)
Females: 14,799	(50.4%)

Average wage per job in 2003: $24,401
County population in 2003: 29,768
Jobs in 2003: 7,336

Recent posts about Preston County, West Virginia on our local forum with over 400,000 registered users. Preston County is mentioned 55 times on our forum:

	Moving to north-central WV with kids--suggestions? advice? (56 replies)
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	WHY do u stay in West Va. (118 replies)
	Bad as it sounds? (54 replies)
	Had enough (47 replies)
	HELP....Moving To WV in 1 Week! (27 replies)

Preston County,WV real estate house value trend

Total labor force in 2004: 13,933
Unemployment rate in 2004: 5.2%

Average household size:

Preston County:	2.5 people
West Virginia:	2.4 people

Estimated median household income in 2005: $31,459 ($27,927 in 2000)

This county	$31,459
West Virginia:	$33,452

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $80,692

Preston County	$80,692
West Virginia:	$84,400

Median monthly rent in 2000: $336
Institutionalized population: 271
Median monthly costs for houses with a mortgage in Preston County in 2000: $630

Crime in 2005 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 0
Rapes: 0
Robberies: 0
Assaults: 17
Burglaries: 37
Thefts: 28
Auto thefts: 12

Crime in 2004 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 0
Rapes: 0
Robberies: 1
Assaults: 10
Burglaries: 46
Thefts: 51
Auto thefts: 9

Preston County races chart

2004 Presidential Election results in Preston County West Virginia:

Bush/Cheney (Republican): 65.8%
Kerry/Edwards (Democratic): 33.2%

Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units in 2000: $255 (0.4%)

Area name: Morgantown, WV MSA
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Preston County is $433 a month.
Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $512 a month.
Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $664 a month.

Cities in this county include: Kingwood, Terra Alta, Masontown, Rowlesburg, Reedsville, Newburg, Tunnelton, Albright, Brandonville, Bruceton Mills.

Neighboring counties: Barbour County , Garrett County, Maryland , Grant County , Fayette County, Pennsylvania , Monongalia County , Taylor County , Tucker County .

Click to draw/clear county borders

Notable locations in this county outside city limits:

Notable locations in Preston County: Caddell Mountain Lookout Tower (A), Morgan Mines (B), Old Virginia Furnace (C), White (D), Reckart Mill (E), Snaggy Mountain Lookout Tower (F). Display/hide their locations on the map

Churches in Preston County include: Stemple Ridge Church (A), Beatty Church (B), Glade Farms United Methodist Church (C), Beech Run Church (D), Gordon Church (E), Snider Church (F), Bethel Church (G), Bethlehem Church (H), Sinclair United Methodist Church (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Cemeteries: Pleasant Grove Cemetery (1), Arthurdale Cemetery (2), Teets Cemetery (3), Mount Moriah Cemetery (4), Concord Cemetery (5), Beachy Cemetery (6), Denver Cemetery (7). Display/hide their locations on the map

Reservoirs and swamps: Alpine Lake (A), Hulls Lake (B), Appalachian Lake (C), Bruceton Mills Lake (D), Fairfax Pond (E), Terra Alta Lake (F), Chippewa Lake (G), Big Bear Lake (H). Display/hide their locations on the map

Streams, rivers, and creeks: Ashpole Run (A), Back Run (B), Barnes Run (C), Wildcat Run (D), Bearwallow Run (E), Beaver Creek (F), Bee Run (G), Beech Run (H), Big Sandy Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Parks in Preston County include: Upper Deckers Creek Wildlife Management Area (1), Camp Dawson Public Hunting Area (2), Briery Mountain Wildlife Management Area (3), Arthurdale Historic District (4), Cathedral State Park (5), Elkins Coal and Coke Company Historic District (6), Bruceton Mills Wildlife Management Area (7), Fairfax Stone State Park (8). Display/hide their locations on the map

Post offices: Hazelton Post Office (A), Arthurdale Post Office (B), Horse Shoe Run Post Office (C), Aurora Post Office (D), Cuzzart Post Office (E), Bretz Post Office (F). Display/hide their locations on the map

Unemployment in September 2007:

Here:	3.3%
West Virginia:	4.0%

Unemployment by year (%)

County total employment by year

County average yearly wages by year ($)

Current college students: 691
People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 74.0%
People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 10.8%

Number of foreign born residents: 167 (50% naturalized citizens)

Preston County:	0.6%
Whole state:	1.1%

Year of entry for the foreign-born population
	1995 to March 2000: 15 1990 to 1994: 16 1985 to 1989: 32 1980 to 1984: 14 1975 to 1979: 0 1970 to 1974: 10 1970 to 1974: 28 1965 to 1969: 52

Mean travel time to work: 30.2 minutes

Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 54.6%

Preston County marital status for females

Housing units in structures:

One, detached: 9,670
One, attached: 100
Two: 157
3 or 4: 194
5 to 9: 316
10 to 19: 26
20 or more: 102
Mobile homes: 2,835
Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 44

Housing units in Preston County with a mortgage: 2,921 (190 second mortgage, 299 home equity loan, 17 both second mortgage and home equity loan)
Houses without a mortgage: 3,147

Agriculture in Preston County
Average size of farms: 155 acres
Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $11161
Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $49.93
The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 3.63%
The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 83.16%
Average total farm production expenses per farm: $11873
Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 24.26%
Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 0.09%
Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $26182
The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 95.75%
Average age of principal farm operators: 55 years
Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 14.55
Milk cows as a percentage of all cattle and calves: 6.22%
Corn for grain: 1907 harvested acres
Vegetables: 110 harvested acres
Land in orchards: 19 acres

Preston County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is slightly above West Virginia state average. It is 2.5 times below overall U.S. average.
Tornadoes in this county have caused 5 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004.
On 6/20/1977, a category 2 (max. wind speeds 113-157 mph) tornado injured 5 people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.

Class of Workers

Most common industries for males:

Construction (15%)
Mining (7%)
Wood products (6%)
Educational services (6%)
Truck transportation (6%)
Public administration (5%)
Metal and metal products (4%)

Most common industries for females:

Health care (25%)
Educational services (12%)
Accommodation and food services (9%)
Public administration (6%)
Finance and insurance (4%)
Food and beverage stores (4%)
Professional, scientific, and technical services (4%)

Most common occupations for males

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (9%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (6%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (5%)
Laborers and material movers, hand (5%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (5%)
Construction trades workers except carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers, and construction laborers (4%)
Other sales and related workers including supervisors (4%)

Most common occupations for females

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (8%)
Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (7%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (6%)
Cashiers (5%)
Cooks and food preparation workers (4%)
Health technologists and technicians (4%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)

Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents:

United Kingdom (28%)
Germany (20%)
Korea (10%)
Other South Central Asia (8%)
Canada (7%)
Other Eastern Africa (5%)
Asia, n.e.c. (4%)

Most common first ancestries reported in Preston County:

United States or American (29%)
German (26%)
Irish (10%)
English (10%)
Italian (5%)
Scotch-Irish (2%)
Dutch (2%)

Preston County mode of transportation to work chart

Means of transportation to work

Drove a car alone: 9,107 (77%)
Carpooled: 1,942 (16%)
Bus or trolley bus: 35 (0%)
Motorcycle: 10 (0%)
Bicycle: 1 (0%)
Walked: 262 (2%)
Other means: 132 (1%)
Worked at home: 380 (3%)

People in group quarters in Preston County, West Virginia

252 people in nursing homes
81 people in other group homes
77 people in homes for the mentally ill
19 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)

Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $37,214.

5.31% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($36,738 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	5.31%
West Virginia average:	5.78%

10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
2.64% relocated from other counties in West Virginia ($16,943 average AGI)
2.67% relocated from other states ($19,795 average AGI)
Preston County: 2.67%
West Virginia average: 3.05%

Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries

Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:

from Monongalia County, WV	1.50% ($36,659 average AGI)
from Garrett County, MD	0.52% ($22,632)
from Marion County, WV	0.16% ($25,471)
from Taylor County, WV	0.12% ($15,231)
from Berkeley County, WV	0.09% ($37,000)

4.42% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($30,288 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	4.42%
West Virginia average:	5.65%

10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
2.59% relocated to other counties in West Virginia ($16,342 average AGI)
1.83% relocated to other states ($13,944 average AGI)
Preston County: 1.83%
West Virginia average: 2.96%

Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries

Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:

to Monongalia County, WV	1.48% ($28,006 average AGI)
to Marion County, WV	0.29% ($28,032)
to Garrett County, MD	0.26% ($20,750)
to Taylor County, WV	0.15% ($22,125)
to Fayette County, PA	0.12% ($17,769)

Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 11.2
Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 10.4

Births per 1000 population in Preston County

Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 10.5
Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 11.5

Deaths per 1000 population in Preston County

Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 13.1
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2003: 12.6

Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Preston County

Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 5,317 (4,320 aged, 997 disabled)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 13%
Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 8%

Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 3.35
Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 3617.360
Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 83.74
Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 28737.94

General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1012.780
Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1115.720

Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 16.77
Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 49.81

Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 3.32

Household type by relationship

Households: 28,905

In family households: 25,282 (6,843 male householders, 1,547 female householders)
6,928 spouses, 8,419 children (7,790 natural, 165 adopted, 464 stepchildren), 375 grandchildren, 196 brothers or sisters, 122 parents, 331 other relatives, 521 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 3,623 (1,442 male householders (1,204 living alone)), 1,719 female householders (1,545 living alone)), 462 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 429 (268 institutionalized population)

Size of family households: 3,688 2-persons, 2,131 3-persons, 1,681 4-persons, 663 5-persons, 159 6-persons, 68 7-or-more-persons.

Size of nonfamily households: 2,749 1-person, 359 2-persons, 44 3-persons, 9 4-persons.

98.3% of residents of Preston County speak English at home.
0.7% of residents speak Spanish at home (57% speak English very well, 23% speak English well, 16% speak English not well, 3% don't speak English at all).
0.9% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (70% speak English very well, 18% speak English well, 9% speak English not well, 2% don't speak English at all).

In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $186,186,000 ($6236 per capita)
Department of Defense expenditure: $14,110,000
Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $88,892,000
Federal other direct payments to individuals: $37,049,000
Federal direct payments not to individuals: $168,000
Federal grants: $39,140,000
Federal procurement contracts: $3,743,000 ($477,000 Department of Defense)
Federal salaries and wages: $17,194,000 ($9,881,000 Department of Defense)
Federal Government direct loans: $2,121,000
Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $3,024,000
Federal Government insurance: $11,676,000

Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,640

Here:	54 per 1000 residents
State:	60 per 1000 residents

Deaths: 1,772

Here:	59 per 1000 residents
State:	61 per 1000 residents

Net international migration: +9

Here:	+0 per 1000 residents
State:	+2 per 1000 residents

Net internal migration: +937

Here:	+31 per 1000 residents
State:	+6 per 1000 residents

Population growth in Preston County

Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 1.42 millions of gallons per day (34% from ground, 66% from surface)

Median number of rooms in houses and condos:

Here:	5.9
State:	5.9

Median number of rooms in apartments:

Here:	4.5
State:	4.5

Year house built:

1999 to March 2000: 345
1995 to 1998: 1,134
1990 to 1994: 1,078
1980 to 1989: 2,306
1970 to 1979: 2,642
1960 to 1969: 1,062
1950 to 1959: 938
1940 to 1949: 840
1939 or earlier: 3,099

Rooms in owner-occupied houses in Preston County, West Virginia:
	1 room: 13 2 rooms: 59 3 rooms: 185 4 rooms: 1,070 5 rooms: 2,380 6 rooms: 2,620 7 rooms: 1,547 8 rooms: 941 9+ rooms: 781

Rooms in renter-occupied apartments in Preston County, West Virginia:
	1 room: 19 2 rooms: 80 3 rooms: 254 4 rooms: 599 5 rooms: 448 6 rooms: 277 7 rooms: 170 8 rooms: 60 9+ rooms: 41

Bedrooms in owner-occupied houses and condos in Preston County:
	no bedroom: 20 1 bedroom: 235 2 bedrooms: 2,333 3 bedrooms: 5,269 4 bedrooms: 1,486 5+ bedrooms: 253

Bedrooms in renter-occupied apartments in Preston County:
	no bedroom: 19 1 bedroom: 394 2 bedrooms: 752 3 bedrooms: 602 4 bedrooms: 166 5+ bedrooms: 15

Cars and other vehicles available in Preston County in owner-occupied houses/condos:
	no vehicle: 569 1 vehicle: 2,606 2 vehicles: 4,238 3 vehicles: 1,623 4 vehicles: 380 5+ vehicles: 180

Cars and other vehicles available in Preston County in renter-occupied apartments
	no vehicle: 433 1 vehicle: 891 2 vehicles: 477 3 vehicles: 126 4 vehicles: 19 5+ vehicles: 2

70% of Preston County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago.
Out of people who lived in different houses, 63% lived in this county.
Out of people who lived in different counties, 46% lived in West Virginia.

Preston County:	70.0%
State average:	63.6%

Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:

This state: 22294
Northeast: 1574
Midwest: 1156
South: 3773
West: 269

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $34,200

Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 3%

Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 3%

Year Householders Moved Into Unit:

Most commonly used house heating fuel in houses and condos:
	Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (35%) Utility gas (16%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (16%) Wood (12%) Electricity (11%) Coal or coke (9%) Other fuel (1%)

Most commonly used house heating fuel in apartments:
	Electricity (33%) Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (27%) Utility gas (16%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (11%) Wood (9%) Coal or coke (3%) Other fuel (1%)

Private vs. public school enrollment:
Students in private schools in grades 1 to 8 (elementary and middle school): 73

Here:	2.3%
West Virginia:	5.5%

Students in private schools in grades 9 to 12 (high school): 57

Here:	3.1%
West Virginia:	4.8%

Students in private undergraduate colleges: 72

Here:	12.8%
West Virginia:	15.4%

Educational Attainment

School Enrollment by Level of School

Age and Sex of Sensory-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Physically-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Mentally-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Self-Care Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Go-Outside-Home Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Residents with Employment Disability (Noninst.)

Preston County government finances in 2002:

Charges - All Other: $995,000
Current Operations - General - Other: $1,026,000
Central Staff Services: $850,000

Police Protection: $580,000

Judicial and Legal Services: $448,000

Corrections - Other: $439,000

Financial Administration: $421,000

Health Services - Other: $350,000

General Public Buildings: $220,000

Natural Resources - Other: $110,000

Fire Protection: $60,000
Federal Intergovernmental - All Other: $450,000
Local Intergovernmental - All Other: $135,000
Miscellaneous - General Revenue, NEC: $251,000
Interest Earnings: $58,000

Rents: $26,000
Other Capital Outlay - Central Staff: $101,000
General Public Building: $26,000
Other Funds - Cash & Deposits: $1,787,000
State Intergovernmental - Health & Hospitals: $220,000
All Other: $200,000

General Support: $165,000

Water Utilities: $61,000
Tax - Property: $2,289,000
Public Utilities: $45,000

Other Selective Sales: $18,000

Motor Vehicle License: $7,000

Alcoholic Beverage Sales: $4,000

Motor Fuels Sales: $0
Total Salaries & Wages: $2,237,000

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Total Number Of Recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of aged recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of blind and disabled recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients under 18

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients between 18 and 64

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients older than 64

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients also receiving OASDI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Amount of payments (thousands of dollars)

Preston County Fatal accident statistics for 1975 - 2006:

Fatal accident count (per 100,000 population)