
West Virginia · Census place 03292
Athens, WV population, income and ZIP codes
Quick answer
The population of the city of Athens, West Virginia (Athens, WV — Census place “Athens town”) is 1,156 residents, ranking #136 of 439 places in West Virginia. Median household income is $62,292, the median home is worth $156,800 and median gross rent runs $1,020 a month. Looking for the Athens West Virginia ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Athens, WV: 24712.
- Population
- 1,156Athens town residents
- Median household income
- $62,292Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $156,800Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,020Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 27.3 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 74%Owner-occupied households
Athens ZIP codes (West Virginia)
Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Athens.
The Athens WV ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.
What the numbers mean in Athens town
Housing cost measured against local earnings.
A household earning the Athens town median would spend about 19.6% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 2.5× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 9.7% of residents and 74% of households own their home.
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year
Athens town, WV in context
How this area compares with national benchmarks.
Athens town is a small town in West Virginia, with 1,156 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #136 of 439 ranked by population — larger than 69% of them. The median age here is 27.3 years against 39.1 nationally, a distinctly younger profile, typical of places with students, military posts or a fast-growing family population. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.
Households in Athens town earn a median of $62,292 a year, 20.7% below the national figure of $78,538 and 18% above the $52,974 median for the 148 West Virginia cities we cover. Household income here is measured before tax and pooled across everyone at the address, which is why it reads higher than typical individual earnings in the same area. Poverty reaches 9.7% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.
The typical owner-occupied home in Athens town is valued at $156,800, 48.3% below the national figure and 23% above the $127,200 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,020 a month, 27.5% below the national figure, or roughly $12,240 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 19.6% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 2.5×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 74% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans toward owners. Gross rent folds in the utilities a tenant pays separately, so it is closer to the real monthly outlay than a headline rent figure.
A median age of 27.3 means a large student or early-career population; income medians in places like this understate household resources, since many residents are supported from outside the address.
All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.
Compare with nearby places
Places of similar size in West Virginia.
- White Hall town 1,141
- Lesage CDP 1,165
- Washington CDP 1,129
- Hamlin town 1,173
- Benwood city 1,173
- Buffalo town 1,110
- Alderson town 1,182
- Tornado CDP 1,101
Keep going
More West Virginia coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- What is the population of Athens town?
- Athens town has 1,156 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #136 of 439 in West Virginia.
- What is the median household income in Athens town?
- Median household income in Athens town is $62,292 a year, 20.7% below the national figure of $78,538.
- How much does it cost to rent or buy in Athens town?
- Median gross rent is $1,020 a month and the median home value is $156,800, so rent absorbs about 19.6% of median household income.
- Is Athens town affordable compared with the rest of the US?
- Homes cost about 2.5× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Athens town is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 19.6% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
- How current is this Athens town data?
- All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.