Morgantown is a medium-sized city located in the state of West Virginia. With a population of 30,277 people and 24 associated neighborhoods, Morgantown is the third largest community in West Virginia.
Morgantown real estate is some of the most expensive in West Virginia, although Morgantown house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.
Of important note, Morgantown is also a city of artists. Morgantown has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Morgantown’s character.
Also of interest is that Morgantown has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 13.04% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Because Morgantown has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Morgantown lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Morgantown is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Morgantown people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.
Morgantown, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Morgantown spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 18.13 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.
If knowledge is power, Morgantown is a pretty powerful place. 58.08% of the adults in Morgantown have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Morgantown in 2022 was $28,620, which is upper middle income relative to West Virginia, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $114,480 for a family of four. However, Morgantown contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Morgantown also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 34.37% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Morgantown is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Morgantown home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Morgantown residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Morgantown include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in Morgantown is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Arabic.