About

Life in St. Albans

St. Albans is a community of 10,637 people in West Virginia. The median household income is $53,972, median rent runs about $931 per month, and median home values are around $140,800.

St. Albans at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

45.2 yrs

Poverty Rate

14.1%

Foreign-Born

0.6%

Broadband Internet

89.1%

of households

Population Growth

-6.0%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

St. Albans$53,972
West Virginia avg$59,608
US$80,734

Demographics0.6% foreign-born, most often from Germany

Who lives in St. Albans: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In St. Albans, the largest foreign-born group is from Germany (53.0%), and 0.3% of residents speak German/Germanic at home.

Under 18

18.3%

of residents

65 and Older

25.1%

of residents

Households with Kids

26.1%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

35.6%

of households

Married Couples

40.3%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.24

people

Race & Ethnicity

White87.8%
Two or more races5.5%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Germany53.0%
Guatemala24.2%
England21.2%
Haiti1.5%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only99.5%
German/Germanic0.3%
Spanish0.2%

Cost of Livingrent 7% above WV average

Rent, home values, and income in St. Albans

In St. Albans, rent runs 7% above the WV average, and home values are 13% below the WV average.

Median rent (per month)

St. Albans$931
West Virginia avg$872
US$1,413

Median home value

St. Albans$140,800
West Virginia avg$162,600
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

42.3%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

21.1%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

88.7

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$975

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

71.8%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1956

median year built

Vacant Homes

11.9%

of housing units

Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for WV

Unemployment in St. Albans

Unemployment in Kanawha County, which includes St. Albans, is close to the WV average.

Unemployment rate

St. Albans4.1%
West Virginia avg4.2%
US4.3%

St. Albans: Kanawha County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

5.7%
5.2%
5.1%
4.7%
8.9%
5.3%
3.8%
3.6%
3.9%
4.1%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Kanawha County (county-wide) · Annual averages

What St. Albans Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care26.3%
Retail16.2%
Professional & business services12.3%
Finance & real estate10.5%
Public administration8.3%
Transportation & utilities4.8%
Arts, hospitality & food service3.9%
Wholesale trade2.5%

City residents, wherever they work

Commute20.8 min avg

How St. Albans residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In St. Albans, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 79% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone74.9%
Carpool4.7%
Public transit1.3%
Walk5.1%
Work from home13.1%
Other0.9%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min23.9%
15–29 min55.3%
30–44 min15.6%
45–59 min3.6%
60+ min1.6%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Yeager Airport (CRW)

    Regional airport · few flights220k passengers boarded in 2025

    13 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 64% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in St. Albans runs 64% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

118

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

2,339.1

per 100,000 residents

Above average (1,552 national, 2025)

St. Albans Police Department

Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 43 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively High

94.5 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Lightning · HighInland flooding · HighStrong wind · HighWinter weather · HighHail · Moderate

Kanawha County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Kanawha County, which includes St. Albans, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 43 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

Thunderstorm WindFlash FloodFloodStrong WindWinter Weather

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202543Thunderstorm Wind$53,200
202428Strong Wind$805,400
202322Thunderstorm Wind$4.5M
202232Thunderstorm Wind$1.1M
202116Thunderstorm Wind$272,500
202019Thunderstorm Wind$727,000
201921Thunderstorm Wind$1.5M
201832Thunderstorm Wind$332,500

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Kanawha County, county-wide

Air Quality39 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Kanawha County, which includes St. Albans, is typically good — 281 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

39

Good Days

281

per year

Moderate Days

84

per year

Unhealthy Days

0

per year

Kanawha County, county-wide

Climate85°F summers, 25°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

St. Albans has warm summers (avg high 85°F) and cold winters (avg low 25°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

67°/41°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

85°/62°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

68°/43°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

45°/25°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

47.1"

Annual Snowfall

10.7"

Hot Days/Year

22

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

108

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

157

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°6"Jan: 3.47" precipitationFeb: 3.27" precipitationMar: 4.40" precipitationApr: 4.12" precipitationMay: 5.19" precipitationJun: 4.44" precipitationJul: 5.79" precipitationAug: 3.69" precipitationSep: 3.52" precipitationOct: 3.11" precipitationNov: 3.14" precipitationDec: 4.08" precipitation23°JJan: high 43°F, low 23°FFFeb: high 46°F, low 25°FMMar: high 56°F, low 31°FAApr: high 68°F, low 41°FMMay: high 76°F, low 51°FJJun: high 83°F, low 60°F86°JJul: high 86°F, low 64°FAAug: high 85°F, low 62°FSSep: high 80°F, low 55°FOOct: high 68°F, low 42°FNNov: high 57°F, low 32°FDDec: high 47°F, low 27°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan43°F23°F3.47"
Feb46°F25°F3.27"
Mar56°F31°F4.40"
Apr68°F41°F4.12"
May76°F51°F5.19"
Jun83°F60°F4.44"
Jul86°F64°F5.79"
Aug85°F62°F3.69"
Sep80°F55°F3.52"
Oct68°F42°F3.11"
Nov57°F32°F3.14"
Dec47°F27°F4.08"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in St. Albans

Uninsured

4.9%

of residents

No hospitals inside St. Albans's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Thomas Memorial Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.3 mi away · South Charleston

Camc Charleston Surgical Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · 10.5 mi away · Charleston

Not rated

Charleston Area Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 10.7 mi away · Charleston

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity40.1%US 36.8%
Diabetes15.9%US 12.6%
High blood pressure46.8%US 37.1%
Current smoking19.4%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity32.7%US 26.6%
Depression30.4%US 23.0%
Asthma12.0%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year82.1%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education15.2:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in St. Albans

St. Albans's student/teacher ratio is 15.2:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 24.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

6

within city limits

Private Schools

1

within city limits

College Degree Rate

24.3%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

15.2:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near St. Albans (within 15 miles)

University of Charleston

11.4 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,259 students · in-state tuition $33,990 · 56% graduate · median earnings $56,207 (10 yrs after entry)

BridgeValley Community & Technical College

6.8 mi away

Public · 2-year · 1,854 students · in-state tuition $5,800 · 45% graduate · median earnings $42,493 (10 yrs after entry)

West Virginia Junior College-Charleston

3.6 mi away

Private for-profit · 2-year · 394 students · in-state tuition $22,025 · 56% graduate · median earnings $32,951 (10 yrs after entry)

Strayer University-West Virginia

7.9 mi away

Private for-profit · 4-year · 234 students · in-state tuition $13,920 · 16% graduate · median earnings $44,016 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Gauley River National Recreation Area, 46 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for St. Albans

St. Albans has 4 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Gauley River National Recreation Area (46 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Gauley River National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

46 mi away

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

National Park & Preserve

57 mi away

Bluestone National Scenic River

National Scenic River

72 mi away

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

National Historical Park

94 mi away

Public Libraries in St. Albans

St. Albans

602 4th St, St. Albans

Branch~50 hrs/week

Cities Near St. Albans

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to St. Albans?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

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St. Albans FAQ

Is St. Albans, West Virginia affordable?⌄

St. Albans's median rent is $931/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $53,972/year. Median home value is $140,800.

Is St. Albans, West Virginia safe?⌄

St. Albans's violent crime rate was 118 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2339 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in St. Albans, West Virginia?⌄

Kanawha County, which includes St. Albans, has an unemployment rate of 4.1%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in St. Albans, West Virginia?⌄

The cost of living in St. Albans is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $931/month and median household income is $53,972/year. The median home value is $140,800. About 42% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in St. Albans, West Virginia?⌄

The average commute in St. Albans is 21 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from