The Town FilesFort Ashby, West Virginia
Community in Mineral County · population 1,289 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $225,300
- Household income
- $44,538
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 31 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 48.6
Fort Ashby is a community of 1,289 people in Mineral County, West Virginia. The median home is worth $225,300, above the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). It ranks easier by car than 100% of West Virginia towns, better for retirees than 96% of West Virginia towns, better for families than 93% of West Virginia towns.
How Fort Ashby 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
The median home in Fort Ashby is worth $225,300, above the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $44,538, which is more affordable than 2% of West Virginia towns. Median rent is $633 a month. 83.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Ashby | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $225,300 | $125,000 |
| Median rent | $633 | $811 |
| Median household income | $44,538 | $52,093 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.1× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 83.5% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fort Ashby
| People | Fort Ashby | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.6 | 43.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.8% | 21.9% |
| Under 18 | 15.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.1% | 18.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.6% | 18.6% |
| Veterans | 9.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 2.6% | 6.6% |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.9% | 86.7% |
Weather in Fort Ashby
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 22.5°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 30.8 inches of snow (typical West Virginia town: 23.8 in). Expect about 37 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 111 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Ashby since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical West Virginia town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 2, 1998 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 29, 2009.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 1, 2025.
Severe weather in Mineral County since 1996
Mineral County has been included in 19 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 |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4517: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3450: Covid-19 |
| July 12, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4378: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3358: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Mineral County
Mineral County had 8,694 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,612 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Fort Ashby itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Public schools in Fort Ashby
2 public schools with 510 students, about 15.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfort Intermediate School | PK-4 | 284 | 14.2 |
| Fort Ashby Primary School | PK-2 | 226 | 16.1 |
Towns near Fort Ashby
- Rawlings, MD6.9 mi · 687 people · home $144,500
- Bel Air, MD7.6 mi · 1,689 people · home $195,700
- Cresaptown, MD7.8 mi · 5,442 people · home $142,600
- Wiley Ford, WV8.5 mi · 906 people · home $189,000
- Potomac Park, MD8.5 mi · 821 people · home $139,400
- Carpendale, WV9.4 mi · 860 people · home $171,300
- Bowling Green, MD9.5 mi · 1,018 people · home $132,000
- Romney, WV10.3 mi · 1,724 people · home $184,400
Fort Ashby questions
Is Fort Ashby, West Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Ashby scores better for retirees than 96% of West Virginia towns and quieter than 54%. 29.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.6).
How much does a house cost in Fort Ashby?
The median owner-occupied home in Fort Ashby is valued at $225,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $44,538, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is $633 a month.
What is the weather like in Fort Ashby?
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 22.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.2 inches of precipitation a year and 30.8 inches of snow.
Does Fort Ashby get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Ashby since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 2, 1998. 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)