Map the Block › Places › West Virginia › Nicholas County
Nicholas County, West Virginia: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Nicholas County at 5.5 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, about 2.0 times the rate for West Virginia (2.7). Median household income is $54,639 and the unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026. Population: about 24,277 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Nicholas County?
Police agencies in Nicholas County reported an average of 123 violent crimes and 72 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 5.5 per 1,000 people, is about 2.0 times the West Virginia rate (2.7); nationally it is 3.7. For property crime the county rate is 3.2 per 1,000 (West Virginia: 12.1; U.S.: 18.1). Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (98%). CDC death records show about 3 homicide deaths a year in the county (10.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Nicholas County | Per 1,000 | West Virginia per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 123 | 5.5 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 3 | 0.13 | 0.52 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.11 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 120 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 72 | 3.2 | 12.1 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 7 | 0.31 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 63 | 2.8 | 9.4 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2 | 0.09 | 0.88 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 93% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Nicholas County?
The median household in Nicholas County earns $54,639 a year, close to the West Virginia median ($59,608). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $121,600 by its owners; renters pay a median $686. 19.3% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 17.3%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 432 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Nicholas County | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,277 | 1,778,373 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $54,639 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $121,600 | $162,600 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $686 | $872 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.9% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.4% | 16.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 19.3% | 17.3% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 24.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 82.2% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 46.1 | 42.7 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 83.2% | 86.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.8% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Nicholas County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Nicholas County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Nicholas County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 7 high-hazard dams in Nicholas County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 1 is rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Summersville Dam (390 ft) and Campbells Creek Slurry Impoundment (355 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
3 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 15,236 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Nicholas County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 1, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 7 community water systems, 1 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 6 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Nicholas County?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Nicholas County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Nicholas County?
Federal school lists show 14 public and 2 private schools in the county. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 8 fire or EMS stations and 5 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Gauley River National Recreation Area. 1 state park or recreation area: Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Nicholas County
Gun shops
7 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Nicholas County, plus 3 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Favorite Things Loan & Pawn LLC (Summersville), Friendly Bass & Buck Shop LLC (Summersville), Home Town Loan & Pawn INC (Summersville), Lucky Outdoors LLC (Summersville), R T Sporting INC (Craigsville), T&T Outdoors (Summersville) and Walmart #1477 (Summersville).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Nicholas County. West Virginia has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Nicholas County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Nicholas County?
Nicholas County averaged 123 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 5.5 per 1,000 residents, about 2.0 times the West Virginia rate (2.7). The property-crime rate was 3.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Nicholas County?
$54,639 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $59,608 for West Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Nicholas County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 432 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Nicholas County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Nicholas County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Is there road construction in Nicholas County right now?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Nicholas County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Nicholas County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Nicholas County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County | 12,208 | 0.00 | $50,331 |
| Clay County | 7,835 | – | $42,318 |
| Fayette County | 39,519 | 1.9 | $53,194 |
| Greenbrier County | 32,386 | 0.46 | $48,218 |
| Kanawha County | 176,537 | 4.7 | $60,943 |
| Webster County | 8,144 | 0.27 | $43,839 |
More: West Virginia statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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