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Compare towns

MacArthur vs Buffalo

73 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (2.7× in MacArthur) and street grid (2.3× in Buffalo).

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MacArthur, WVOne of the healthiest townsWest Virginia · 1,493 people
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Buffalo, WVKnown for its schoolsWest Virginia · 1,150 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

MacArthurOne of the healthiest towns
Health100% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$133K typical home26% below the WV typical home All about MacArthur →
BuffaloKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 98%of WV districts Health93% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Buffalo →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker2.7×
MacArthur is more of a job hub
MacArthur 1.22Buffalo 0.46
Street grid2.3×
Buffalo has the more walkable street grid
Buffalo 74.1MacArthur 32.3
Trails2×
Buffalo has more miles of trail
Buffalo 0.2 miMacArthur 0.1 mi
Growth since 2010+6.3 pts
Buffalo has grown faster since 2010
Buffalo -2%MacArthur -8.3%
Bachelor’s degree++8 pts
More adults in Buffalo have a degree
Buffalo 12.8%MacArthur 4.8%
Typical home built12 yrs
MacArthur’s homes are older
Buffalo 1985MacArthur 1973
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Buffalo

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.

MacArthur$750/mo
Typical home $133K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.53% · Housing →
Buffalo$970/mo
Typical home $167K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $546/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Buffalo and MacArthur.

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.

Life in each

MacArthur gets 45 more inches of snow a year

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
MacArthurBuffalo
Snow a year56″11″
January low24°F24°F
July high81°F87°F
Growing season (days)180d193d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)42nd89th
Outdoors & history
MacArthurBuffalo
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land2.2%—
National Register places—1
Famous people born here—4
Community
MacArthurBuffalo
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools
–MacArthurNot graded A+BuffaloBetter than 98% of districts in the state
Health
D−MacArthurHealthier than under 1% of U.S. towns DBuffaloHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns
Where they are

73 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MacArthurWVBuffaloWV
MacArthur ↔ Buffalo73 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.

MacArthurBuffalo
People
Population 1,493Highest 1,150Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.3%Lowest -2%Highest
Median age 44.5±12.8Highest 4% above WV 42±10.3Lowest about the WV average
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21%±4.7Highest WV: 20% 18.6%±6.4Lowest WV: 20%
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29.8%±13.6Highest WV: 21% 24.8%±4.2Lowest WV: 21%
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 4.8%Lowest WV: 24.1% 12.8%Highest WV: 24.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±1.2Lowest WV: 5.1% 3.8%±3.7Highest WV: 5.1%
Buffalo and MacArthur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $35,650±$11kLowest 40% below WV $64,583±$29kHighest 8% above WV
Buffalo and MacArthur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $160,800±$12kHighest about the WV average $132,900±$29kLowest 18% below WV
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $546±$162 37% below WV
Property taxmedian, yearly $845Lowest about the WV average $894Highest 3% above WV
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest WV: 48.9% 51.4%±40.3Lowest WV: 48.9%
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 36.4%Highest WV: 16.7% 19.9%Lowest WV: 16.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.1%Lowest WV: 74.9% 90%Highest WV: 74.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than WV 1985Highest 9 yrs newer than WV
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 21% below WV 24 minHighest 10% below WV
Work from home 7.8%±8.5Highest WV: 9.1% 6.6%±7.2Lowest WV: 9.1%
MacArthur and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.6%Highest 1.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 17.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.22Highest 0.46Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Beckley (29%)Charleston (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BuffaloFew work in MacArthur
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 32.3Lowest 74.1Highest
Schools
School district —Putnam County Schools
High school in town —Buffalo High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 15.9
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.

MacArthur neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to MacArthur’s Town Square.

Buffalo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buffalo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside MacArthur and Buffalo

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering MacArthur

C
+ Compare
Crab Orchard1,139 people · $168K homes
+ Compare
Beckley16,818 people · $158K homes
M
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Mabscott1,396 people · $160K homes

Towns like MacArthur

C
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Carpendale1,035 people · $171K homes
B
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Belington1,781 people · $104K homes
N
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New Haven1,493 people · $107K homes
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Harrisville1,574 people · $123K homes

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.

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