City safety & data profile

BeckleyWV

Beckley, WV is a 17K-resident city in Raleigh County with a median household income of $45,826.

Raleigh County, West Virginia. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Beckley, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Beckley has a population larger than 35% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $158,000, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

17K
Population
Top 65%
By size
$45,826
Median income
$158,000
Median home
28.9%
Poverty rate

The read on Beckley

Beckley posts a median household income higher than 5% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Beckley area.

Top 95%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Beckley

Where Beckley income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$45,826 Bottom 5% higher than 5% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WV $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Beckley, WV beyond the headline numbers

Beckley sits inside Raleigh County, West Virginia, at roughly 37.78°N, -81.19°W. Population 17,056, $45,826 median household income. Median home value $158,000, median rent $869. Poverty rate 28.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Beckley's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 48.7%, then short sleep duration at 45.8%. 3 hospitals in/around Beckley, 3.3/5 avg rating, 3 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Beckley from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
17,056
Beckley
Median Income
$45,826
-33% vs avg
Median Home Value
$158,000
-31% vs avg
Median Age
42.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Raleigh County) - Beckley's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
73K-7%
Median Income
$52,150+28%
Median Home Value
$150,900+61%
Poverty Rate
22.8%+33%
Unemployment
5%-25%

Economics

Economics indicators for Beckley, WV
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$869/mo
Poverty Rate
28.9% +104% vs avg
Unemployment 3.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 29.2%
Work From Home 7.3%
Public Transit 0.3%

Population

White 71.1%
African American 16.5%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
48.7%
Short Sleep Duration
45.8%
Obesity
44.9%
Physical Inactivity
37.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
22.8%
Current Smoking
20.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
19.7%
Diabetes
19.2%
Current Asthma
13.1%
Binge Drinking
12.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 49.6%
Annual Checkup 82.7%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
9.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
9.3%
Stroke
5%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
3.3/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
3
BECKLEY VA MEDICAL CENTER
BECKLEY · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★★★
BECKLEY ARH HOSPITAL
BECKLEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
RALEIGH GENERAL HOSPITAL
BECKLEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Beckley, WV? ▼
Beckley, WV has a population of 17,056 people, located in Raleigh County, West Virginia.
What is the median household income in Beckley? ▼
The median household income in Beckley, WV is $45,826 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 28.9%.
What is the median home value in Beckley? ▼
The median home value in Beckley, WV is $158,000. Median rent is $869/month.
What are the top health concerns in Beckley? ▼
The top health indicators in Beckley include High Blood Pressure (48.7%), Short Sleep Duration (45.8%), Obesity (44.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Beckley? ▼
Beckley has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 3.3/5 stars. 3 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Beckley? ▼
The median age in Beckley, WV is 42.3 years. 29.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Beckley, WV is located in Raleigh County, West Virginia. With a population of 17K and a $45,826 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 3.3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Beckley area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - West Virginia

Real-time AQI for every monitored West Virginia location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Bluefield, WV 10K Charleston, WV 47K South Charleston, WV 13K Saint Albans, WV 11K Radford, VA 17K Blacksburg, VA 44K Teays Valley, WV 13K Christiansburg, VA 22K
All cities in West Virginia → Compare Beckley vs Bluefield → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Beckley's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Beckley area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Beckley against West Virginia peers on any ranking lens. Explore West Virginia

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Raleigh County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.