The Town FilesFort Gay, West Virginia
Town in Wayne County · population 675 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $62,300
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 15 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 44.0
Fort Gay is a town of 675 people in Wayne County, West Virginia. The median home is worth $62,300, below the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). It ranks easier by car than 99% of West Virginia towns, better transit than 74% of West Virginia towns.
How Fort Gay 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 Gay is worth $62,300, below the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). Median rent is $726 a month. 42.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Gay | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $62,300 | $125,000 |
| Median rent | $726 | $811 |
| Median household income | — | $52,093 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 42.9% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fort Gay
| People | Fort Gay | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.0 | 43.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.4% | 21.9% |
| Under 18 | 15.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.2% | 18.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 38.0% | 18.6% |
| Veterans | 4.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 2.1% | 6.6% |
| Average commute | 29.9 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.4% | 86.7% |
Weather in Fort Gay
July highs average 85.4°F and January lows 22.5°F. About 46.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 14.5 inches of snow (typical West Virginia town: 23.8 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Gay since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical West Virginia town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 2, 2012 about 6.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 11 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 7, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 22 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 19, 1967.
Severe weather in Wayne County since 1996
Wayne County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, 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 |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4783: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 20, 2021 | Flood | DR-4605: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| May 13, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4603: Severe Winter Storms |
Jobs and pay in Wayne County
Wayne County had 8,494 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,886 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Fort Gay itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Public schools in Fort Gay
2 public schools with 850 students, about 11.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Gay Pre K-8 | PK-8 | 505 | 12.0 |
| Tolsia High School | 9-12 | 345 | 10.1 |
Towns near Fort Gay
- Louisa, KY1.5 mi · 2,679 people · home $120,500
- Wayne, WV11.0 mi · 1,443 people · home $82,100
- Lavalette, WV15.9 mi · 932 people · home $190,200
- Inez, KY17.7 mi · 546 people · home $70,900
- Cannonsburg, KY18.8 mi · 862 people · home $179,900
- Ceredo, WV19.0 mi · 1,408 people · home $126,800
- Kenova, WV19.4 mi · 3,033 people · home $109,000
- Burlington, OH20.3 mi · 2,416 people · home $127,500
Fort Gay questions
Is Fort Gay, West Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Gay scores better for retirees than 4% of West Virginia towns and quieter than 59%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.0).
How much does a house cost in Fort Gay?
The median owner-occupied home in Fort Gay is valued at $62,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is $726 a month.
What is the weather like in Fort Gay?
July highs average 85.4°F and January lows 22.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.1 inches of precipitation a year and 14.5 inches of snow.
Does Fort Gay get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Gay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 2, 2012. 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)