A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Keyser$1,040/mo

Typical home $184K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $648/mo · Housing →

Philippi$760/mo

Typical home $135K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.47% · or rent about $775/mo · Housing →

The difference: $280 a month, about $3,300 a year, between Keyser and Philippi.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Keyser places higher on 12 of 20 WV lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every West Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–KeyserNot graded BPhilippiSafer than 58% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+KeyserBetter than 70% of districts in the state B+PhilippiBetter than 68% of districts in the state

Health

CKeyserHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns DPhilippiHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns

12Keyser

8Philippi

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 63 towns #12#56 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 63 towns #11#53 Most conserved landOutdoors · 55 towns #40#5 Most new homesHousing · 49 towns #47#19 Fastest growingGrowth · 63 towns #61#32 Most remote workersWork · 60 towns #22#46 Most walkableOutdoors · 63 towns #2#24 Lowest depressionHealth · 63 towns #28#48

Left end = #1 in West Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Keyser’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

KeyserPhilippi

Snow a year34″47″

January low21°F —

July high89°F —

Growing season (days)167d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)72nd 86th

Outdoors & history

KeyserPhilippi

Trails0 mi 7 mi

Conserved land1.4%12.2%

Settled1852 —

National Register places1 6

Archive photos18 —

Famous people born here6 —

Community

KeyserPhilippi

Library hours a week45 hrs 37 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

61 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

KeyserWV PhilippiWV

Keyser ↔ Philippi61 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs West Virginia average

KeyserPhilippi

People

Population 4,857Highest 2,861Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.6%Lowest -1.2%Highest

Median age 38.3±6.4Highest 10% below WV 36.5±10.6Lowest 15% below WV

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 17.7%±5.2Highest WV: 20% 14.9%±4.4Lowest WV: 20%

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 22.7%±6.3Lowest WV: 21% 24.2%±6.9Highest WV: 21%

Philippi and Keyser are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18%Highest WV: 24.1% 17.4%Lowest WV: 24.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 11.7%±2.6Lowest WV: 5.1% 17.4%±1.4Highest WV: 5.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $46,955±$10kHighest 21% below WV $45,879±$9kLowest 23% below WV

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $143,000±$12kHighest 12% below WV $114,500±$20kLowest 30% below WV

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $648±$392Lowest 26% below WV $775±$80Highest 11% below WV

Philippi and Keyser are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $696Highest 20% below WV $537Lowest 38% below WV

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.6%±19Highest WV: 48.9% 36.4%±21.7Lowest WV: 48.9%

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 31.8%Highest WV: 16.7% 29.5%Lowest WV: 16.7%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 51.4%Lowest WV: 74.9% 56.5%Highest WV: 74.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Highest 12 yrs older than WV 1960Lowest 16 yrs older than WV

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 36% below WV 28 minHighest 7% above WV

Work from home 11.4%±6Highest WV: 9.1% 6.4%±5.2Lowest WV: 9.1%

Keyser and Philippi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 11.3%Lowest 21%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.98Lowest 2.05Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Cumberland (4%)Bridgeport (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PhilippiFew work in Keyser

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.4%Lowest 12.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 7.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 2.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 4Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 127Highest 72.9Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #55 of 61 in WV #39 of 61 in WV

School district Mineral County SchoolsBarbour County Schools

High school in town Mineral County Technical CenterPhilip Barbour High School Complex

Students per teacherat that high school 0.0Lowest 13.2Highest

West Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Keyser neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Keyser’s Town Square.

Philippi neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philippi’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Keyser

+ Compare

Weston3,840 people · $105K homes

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Kenova2,944 people · $109K homes

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Princeton5,736 people · $120K homes

+ Compare

Milton2,817 people · $144K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks West Virginia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Keyser vs Philippi

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $280 more a month in Keyser

Keyser places higher on 12 of 20 WV lists

What daily life feels like in each

61 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Keyser and Philippi

Towns like Keyser

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