The Town FilesSt. Marys, West Virginia
City in Pleasants County · population 1,831 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $147,300
- Household income
- $63,547
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 24 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 12
- Median age
- 44.9
St. Marys is a city of 1,831 people in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The median home is worth $147,300, above the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). It ranks quieter than 85% of West Virginia towns.
How St. Marys 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 St. Marys is worth $147,300, above the typical West Virginia town ($125,000). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $63,547, which is more affordable than 61% of West Virginia towns. Median rent is $771 a month. 81.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | St. Marys | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $147,300 | $125,000 |
| Median rent | $771 | $811 |
| Median household income | $63,547 | $52,093 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 81.7% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.6% | — |
Who lives in St. Marys
| People | St. Marys | Typical West Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.9 | 43.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.4% | 21.9% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.7% | 18.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 18.6% |
| Veterans | 10.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 6.6% |
| Average commute | 25.0 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.9% | 86.7% |
Weather in St. Marys
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.6°F. About 45.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 23.8 inches of snow (typical West Virginia town: 23.8 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 119 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of St. Marys since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical West Virginia town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on July 21, 2026 about 1.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 15 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on June 22, 1996.
Severe weather in Pleasants County since 1996
Pleasants County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Flood | DR-4932: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 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 |
| April 17, 2018 | Mud/Landslide | DR-4359: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Pleasants County
Pleasants County had 2,495 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,850 a year. Unemployment was 5.4% in 2023; in St. Marys itself the ACS puts it at 1.6%.
Public schools in St. Marys
4 public schools with 739 students, about 10.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys High School | 9-12 | 298 | 13.0 |
| St. Marys Elementary School | PK-4 | 232 | 12.9 |
| Frontier High/Middle School | 7-12 | 209 | 11.0 |
| Mid Ohio Valley Technical Institute | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near St. Marys
- Newport, OH0.9 mi · 895 people · home $208,200
- Belmont, WV3.4 mi · 875 people · home $152,000
- Reno, OH10.1 mi · 1,129 people · home $213,800
- Matamoras (New Matamoras), OH11.0 mi · 702 people · home $94,400
- Marietta, OH13.1 mi · 13,385 people · home $161,800
- Williamstown, WV13.4 mi · 2,997 people · home $182,500
- Pennsboro, WV14.8 mi · 1,054 people · home $86,500
- Harrisville, WV15.1 mi · 1,631 people · home $123,000
St. Marys questions
Is St. Marys, West Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, St. Marys scores better for retirees than 24% of West Virginia towns and quieter than 85%. 18.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.9).
How much does a house cost in St. Marys?
The median owner-occupied home in St. Marys is valued at $147,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,547, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $771 a month.
What is the weather like in St. Marys?
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.4 inches of precipitation a year and 23.8 inches of snow.
Does St. Marys get tornadoes?
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of St. Marys since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on July 21, 2026. 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)