CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.00° N · 81.06° W · GEOID 5430316

Gatewood

Fayette County, West Virginia · part of the Beckley, WV metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

West VirginiaGatewood, WVGatewoodGatewood

The short answer

Gatewood is home to 605 people. Median household income is $76,351 a year and median rent is $788 a month, 12.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $109,600, about 1.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$788
42% below the median place
Median household income
$76,351
5% below the median place
Median home value
$109,600
66% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Gatewood

  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 22 West Virginia places.
  • The median home is worth 1.4 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 21 West Virginia places.
  • Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 97% of places its size. It is the lowest of 31 West Virginia places.
01

Moving to Gatewood

Fayette County gains about 0.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,301
Moved out1,292
Net+9

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Nicholas County, WV9589+6
Greenbrier County, WV4940+9

Within West Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within West VirginiaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$40K
Leavers$42K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Fayette County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Fayette County report $39,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $42,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$31,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $788 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,167 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $109,600.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 6.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Lexington, NE matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in6
$39,657
44% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$42,459
40% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.1%45% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure0.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$39,65744% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$42,45940% below
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 0.0%, below the median place (median 7.1%).

Gatewood12.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$31,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.4%
39% below the median place
Home price to income
1.4x
62% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
12%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gatewood, $788 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Gatewood.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gatewood? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Median year built1
1938
2% below the median place
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$78842% below
Rent to income112.4%39% below
Property tax rate10.7%26% below
Home price to income11.4x62% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure88.412% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$96140% below
Property tax paid (median)1$72978% below
Median home value1$109,60066% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure10.4%225% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure75.2%46% above
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure52.7%4% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,16738% below
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$32,803
18% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$76,3515% below
Income per person1$32,80318% below
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay5County figure$48,37927% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure1.6%57% below
Jobs5County figure10,39893% below
Poverty rate1County figure19.2%79% above
Mean commute1County figure30 min21% above
Works from home1County figure6.6%47% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 0.0%, below the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
0.0%
below the median place (median 8.8%)
No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16056646th largest
Median age131.320% below
Bachelor's or higher1County figure15.8%51% below
High school or higher1County figure86.9%6% below
Household size12.78% above
Born abroad10.0%below (median 8.8%)
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Gatewood

28 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.9 −24%
Shops27.6 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.8 +17%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.7 −17%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k7
15.9
24% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k7
1.8
22% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7
16.7
17% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure1122% above
Public school students9County figure5,2948% above
Students per teacher9County figure14.93% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure15.924% below
Shops per 10k7County figure27.69% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.817% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure16.717% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.822% below
National Register listings8County figure28115% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 11.5, 87% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Gatewood. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk11
11.5
87% below the median place
Tornado risk11
10.7
87% below the median place
Natural hazard risk11
53.4
42% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureGatewoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure82°F6% below
January average low10County figure23°F8% below
Average temperature10County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation10County figure47.8 in9% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure53.442% below
Hurricane risk11County figure42.041% below
Tornado risk11County figure10.787% below
Wildfire risk11County figure49.519% below
Heat wave risk11County figure11.587% below
08

Gatewood in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$76,351 (2024)$96,500$81,500 to $114,500+4.0%
Median home value$109,600 (2024)$154,000$112,000 to $212,000+5.9%

The median home would be worth 1.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Gatewood

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Lexington, NE$966$67,666Compare
Muleshoe, TX$938$69,097Compare
Beardstown, IL$762$60,587Compare
Olivarez, TX$860$64,599Compare
Olivarez, TXBeardstown, ILMuleshoe, TXLexington, NEGatewood, WVGatewoodLexingtonMuleshoeBeardstownOlivarezGatewoodLexingtonMuleshoeBeardstownOlivarez

Common questions

Is Gatewood a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 31 West Virginia places. 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 22 West Virginia places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gatewood expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $109,600.

What salary do you need to live in Gatewood?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $31,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gatewood?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Lexington, NE, Muleshoe, TX, Beardstown, IL and Olivarez, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Gatewood with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gatewood itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gatewood-west-virginia

Citytistics. “Gatewood, West Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gatewood-west-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.