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Compare towns

Smithfield vs Friendly

27 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (4.7× in Friendly) and street grid (3× in Friendly).

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Smithfield, WVHomes around $62KWest Virginia · 113 people
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Friendly, WVHomes around $115KWest Virginia · 123 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.

SmithfieldHomes around $62K
Housing$62K typical home66% below the WV typical home All about Smithfield →
FriendlyHomes around $115K
Housing$115K typical home36% below the WV typical home All about Friendly →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Property tax bill4.7×
Tax bills are bigger in Friendly
Friendly $1,083Smithfield $230
Street grid3×
Friendly has the more walkable street grid
Friendly 79.9Smithfield 26.9
Typical home built39 yrs
Smithfield’s homes are older
Friendly 1982Smithfield 1943
Homeowners+15.7 pts renters
Smithfield has more renters
Friendly 59.2%Smithfield 43.5%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Friendly

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.

Smithfield$420/mo
Typical home $62K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
Friendly$690/mo
Typical home $115K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $497/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,300 a year, between Friendly and Smithfield.

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

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
SmithfieldFriendly
Snow a year23″24″
January low21°F22°F
July high85°F84°F
Growing season (days)176d185d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)99th94th
Outdoors & history
SmithfieldFriendly
National Register places—1
Archive photos—3
Community
SmithfieldFriendly
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.

Where they are

27 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SmithfieldFriendlySmithfieldFriendly
Smithfield ↔ Friendly27 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.

SmithfieldFriendly
People
Population 113Lowest 123Highest
Median age 33.9±14.4Highest 21% below WV 30.5±17.7Lowest 29% below WV
Smithfield and Friendly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23%±36.7Lowest WV: 20% 24.4%±19.8Highest WV: 20%
Friendly and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±25.5Highest WV: 21% 16.3%±30.1Lowest WV: 21%
Smithfield and Friendly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 3.5%Lowest WV: 24.1% 5.6%Highest WV: 24.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±16.3 WV: 5.1% 0%±14.9 WV: 5.1%
Cost of living
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $115,300±$61k 29% below WV
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $497±$308 43% below WV
Property taxmedian, yearly $230Lowest 73% below WV $1,083Highest 25% above WV
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest WV: 48.9% 47.1%±100Lowest WV: 48.9%
Smithfield and Friendly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 61.1%Highest WV: 16.7% 28.5%Lowest WV: 16.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 43.5%Lowest WV: 74.9% 59.2%Highest WV: 74.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1943Lowest 33 yrs older than WV 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than WV
Getting to work
Average commuteone way — 30 min 14% above WV
Work from home 0%±44.8Lowest WV: 9.1% 6.5%±10.2Highest WV: 9.1%
Friendly and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miLowest 31.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.14Highest 0.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town New Martinsville (14%)Dunbar (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FriendlyFew work in Smithfield
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 26.9Lowest 79.9Highest
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.

Smithfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smithfield’s Town Square.

Friendly neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Friendly’s Town Square.

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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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