WelchWV
A town of 3,507, settled in 1893. A typical home worth about $54K.
Population
3,507
+49.2% since 2010
Typical home
$54K
−10% in a year
Household income
$33K
median
Jobs based here
1,560
A job hub
What makes Welch stand out The 3 things Welch does most differently from other towns.
A growing town Welch has grown 49.2% since 2010 2,406 people in 2010; 3,507 today.
What’s changed most in Welch? 2,406 2010
3,590 2020
3,507 Today
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Residents weigh in
Live in Welch? Is a D− for health right?
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In the news: Welch Community Hospital opens newly renovated rural health clinic → Is Welch still affordable for young families? → How do you get to work from Welch? → How does Welch prepare for bad weather? →
Upcoming events
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The data Ordered by what stands out in Welch. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Welch home is worth about $54K The typical Welch home is worth about $54,000, down 10% in a year, 70% below the West Virginia typical home.
$54K Zillow home value
Typical home value Welch $54K
West Virginia $180K
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Welch About one in 4 of Welch’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Charleston (4%), Princeton (2%) and Beckley (2%). Half commute less than 25 miles.
28% work in town
Where working residents work In Welch 28%
Charleston 4%
Princeton 2%
Beckley 2%
Iaeger 1%
25 mi
median commute distance
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Health
Healthier than 1% of U.S. towns Welch beats the West Virginia average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
D− Health Grade
32 measures vs. West Virginia
What stands out Welch WV Fewer adults who have had cancer 5.3% 9.6% Fewer adults with arthritis 30% 37.7% More adults facing a utility shut-off 22.7% 11%
Welch Community Hospital
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
9th
percentile among WV towns
Schools
Welch’s public schools outperform 4% of West Virginia districts The public schools Welch’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 96% of West Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
D− School Grade
Outdoors
0.2% of Welch is conserved land 6.6 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
#12 for trails in WV
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 0.2%
conserved · 11 of 4,884 acres
6.6 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. Tug Fork Wildlife Management Area — 176 2. Linkous Park 0.2 mi 2 3. Martha H. Moore Riverfront Park 0.1 mi 1
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 94% of U.S. communities.
94 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
94 Very high risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Cold waves
211
paid flood claims since 1978
11
federal disasters paid out here
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers Welch has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
20″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 26–46°
Spring 41–67°
Summer 61–83°
Fall 43–67°
Oct 28
typical first frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
A job hub Every workday, about 1,348 people come to Welch for work Where Welch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4% → Charleston Charleston 4%
2% → Princeton Princeton 2%
2% → Beckley Beckley 2%
1% → Iaeger Iaeger 1%
1% → Morgantown Morgantown 1%
1% → Pineville Pineville 1%
Welch · 28% stay
1,560 jobs based in Welch
28% of working residents work in town
25 mi median commute distance
How do you get to work from Welch?
Census LEHD 2023
1908 · Subject -Coal. -70 Welch Mining Co., Welch W. Va. Boy running 'trip rope' at tipple. Overgrown, but looked 13 yrs. old.… · Wikimedia Commons
Welch’s story
133 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 2 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
Landmarks 2 places in Welch on the National Register of Historic Places.
All landmarks → Famous people from Welch 16 notable people were born in Welch.
See all 16 →
Welch is a city in and the county seat of McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,590 at the 2020 census. Welch was incorporated as a city in 1893.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1893
Population 3,590
Area 6.1 sq mi
Elevation 1,322 ft
ZIP code 24801
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