Is Williamstown, WV a Good Place to Live?
Williamstown is a small town of 2,980 in West Virginia, with a median household income of $68,029 and a 2.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Williamstown stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Williamstown is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Williamstown city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 92.4Williamstown's overall cost of living index is 92.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Williamstown costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Williamstown, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $162,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $798 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 86.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $68,029 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeWilliamstown's violent crime rate is 109.0 per 100,000 residents — 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Williamstown is served primarily by Wood County Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Williamstown, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Wood County Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 16 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 46.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Williamstown sees average highs of 39.5°F in January and 85.3°F in July, with 44.3 inches of annual precipitation and 21.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Williamstown, WV |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.5°F |
| Average High — July | 85.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Williamstown, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,980 | — |
| Median Age | 49.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 25.9% | 16.8% |