The Town FilesMount Hope, West Virginia
City in Fayette County · population 1,125 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $101,000
- Household income
- $34,375
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 56 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 39.8
Mount Hope is a city of 1,125 people in Fayette County, West Virginia. The median home is worth $101,000, below the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). It ranks better for retirees than 94% of West Virginia towns, hipper than 89% of West Virginia towns, more walkable than 83% of West Virginia towns.
How Mount Hope 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 Mount Hope is worth $101,000, below the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $34,375, which is more affordable than 33% of West Virginia towns. Median rent is $549 a month. 51.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mount Hope | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $101,000 | $125,000 |
| Median rent | $549 | $811 |
| Median household income | $34,375 | $52,093 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 51.5% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1951 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Mount Hope
| People | Mount Hope | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.8 | 43.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.1% | 21.9% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.2% | 18.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 32.3% | 18.6% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.3% | 86.7% |
Weather in Mount Hope
July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 22.8°F. About 47.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 55.9 inches of snow (typical West Virginia town: 23.8 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 115 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mount Hope since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical West Virginia town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on February 25, 1961 about 5.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 4, 1974.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 39 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 23, 1962.
Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996
Fayette County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4953: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3639: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4783: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| November 28, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4679: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4517: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Fayette County
Fayette County had 10,265 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,615 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Mount Hope itself the ACS puts it at 14.6%.
Public schools in Mount Hope
1 public school with 338 students, about 14.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Elementary School | PK-5 | 338 | 14.1 |
Towns near Mount Hope
- Bradley, WV3.1 mi · 1,928 people · home $84,700
- Hilltop, WV3.1 mi · 528 people · home $56,300
- Prosperity, WV4.3 mi · 1,345 people · home $141,200
- Piney View, WV4.6 mi · 902 people · home $98,800
- Oak Hill, WV5.4 mi · 8,179 people · home $118,700
- Stanaford, WV6.0 mi · 1,215 people · home $162,800
- Sprague, WV7.1 mi · 1,289 people · home $87,400
- Beckley, WV8.6 mi · 17,286 people · home $158,000
Mount Hope questions
Is Mount Hope, West Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mount Hope scores better for retirees than 94% of West Virginia towns and quieter than 62%. 23.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.8).
How much does a house cost in Mount Hope?
The median owner-occupied home in Mount Hope is valued at $101,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $34,375, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $549 a month.
What is the weather like in Mount Hope?
July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 22.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.9 inches of precipitation a year and 55.9 inches of snow.
Does Mount Hope get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mount Hope since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on February 25, 1961. 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)