The Town Files

Preston County, West Virginia

34,160 people. The median home is worth $162,800 (typical West Virginia town: $125,000) and the median household earns $61,880.

Towns in Preston County

Towns in Preston County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Kingwood2,980$162,000$71,15441.5

People and housing

Preston CountyTypical West Virginia town
Median home value$162,800$125,000
Median rent$750$811
Median household income$61,880$52,093
Median age43.343.6
Bachelor's degree or higher17.5%18.6%
Below the poverty line13.8%18.6%

Jobs and pay

7,208 jobs in 2024, average pay $55,402 a year.

Largest industries in Preston CountyHealth care & social assistan…1,062 jobs · $44,639Construction1,020 jobs · $68,050Retail782 jobs · $31,322Manufacturing534 jobs · $60,604Hotels & restaurants448 jobs · $21,152Professional & technical serv…187 jobs · $65,162
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Preston County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 3.9%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 566 storm events in Preston County from 1996 to 2026, with 1 deaths.

Storm events in Preston County by type since 1996Hail67Flood16Drought9Tornado7High Wind13Heavy Snow10Flash Flood73Strong Wind6Winter Storm40Winter Weather70
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Preston County has been included in 24 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3639: Severe Winter Storm
May 22, 2024Severe StormDR-4783: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4517: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3450: Covid-19
August 2, 2019FloodDR-4455: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 17, 2018Mud/LandslideDR-4359: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).