The Town FilesFairlea, West Virginia
Community in Greenbrier County · population 1,720 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $24,411
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 30 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 56.6
Fairlea is a community of 1,720 people in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. It ranks hipper than 98% of West Virginia towns, better for young professionals than 90% of West Virginia towns, better for retirees than 82% of West Virginia towns.
How Fairlea ranks
Percentile among West Virginia towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of West Virginia towns.
Homes and cost of living
Median rent is $957 a month. 53.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fairlea | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $125,000 |
| Median rent | $957 | $811 |
| Median household income | $24,411 | $52,093 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 53.4% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fairlea
| People | Fairlea | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.6 | 43.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 28.3% | 21.9% |
| Under 18 | 10.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.3% | 18.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 27.6% | 18.6% |
| Veterans | 12.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.9% | — |
| Work from home | 2.4% | 6.6% |
| Average commute | 21.9 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 68.2% | 86.7% |
Weather in Fairlea
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 19.9°F. About 41.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 29.5 inches of snow (typical West Virginia town: 23.8 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 139 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairlea since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical West Virginia town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 22, 1990 about 7.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 22, 1990.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 26, 1960.
Severe weather in Greenbrier County since 1996
Greenbrier County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3639: Severe Winter Storm |
| February 26, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4861: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4517: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3450: Covid-19 |
| June 25, 2016 | Flood | DR-4273: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County had 12,789 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,155 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Fairlea itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.
Towns near Fairlea
- Ronceverte, WV1.8 mi · 1,572 people · home $130,300
- Lewisburg, WV2.8 mi · 3,922 people · home $334,900
- White Sulphur Springs, WV8.8 mi · 2,221 people · home $117,000
- Alderson, WV10.5 mi · 975 people · home $130,400
- Rupert, WV18.1 mi · 877 people · home $104,000
- Rainelle, WV21.6 mi · 1,190 people · home $80,800
- Hinton, WV24.1 mi · 2,245 people · home $92,900
- Covington, VA25.8 mi · 5,737 people · home $83,500
Fairlea questions
Is Fairlea, West Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fairlea scores better for retirees than 82% of West Virginia towns and quieter than 49%. 28.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.6).
What is the weather like in Fairlea?
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 19.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.5 inches of precipitation a year and 29.5 inches of snow.
Does Fairlea get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairlea since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 22, 1990. The typical West Virginia town has had 5.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)