United States › West Virginia › Lester CITY · 2020 ACS
Lester West Virginia · 338 residents · 0.50 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Lester is home to 338 people in West Virginia. The poverty rate is 54.7%, above the 12.8% national rate. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. Households here earn about 45% less than in West Virginia as a whole. The typical home is worth $71,100, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 0%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 41.8 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
273 373 473 572 672 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Lester Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $26,202
−28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,375 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $11,026 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 15.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 33.3%
Education & health services 3.5%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 0%
Arts, entertainment, food 0%
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$71,100
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$805
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $392 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 83.8% in 2000
25.0% rent
from 2.55 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 1.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 79.8%(257)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 85.2%(288)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 57.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 1.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 23.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 95.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 0.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 36.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 3.8%(1)
Gulf War (1990s) 38.5%(10)
Share of the 26 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Lester, West Virginia? Lester, West Virginia has about 338 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lester, West Virginia? The typical household in Lester, West Virginia earns about $26,202 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lester, West Virginia expensive? In Lester, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $71,100, and the typical rent is about $805 a month.
How educated are people in Lester, West Virginia? About 12.7% of adults age 25 and over in Lester, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lester, West Virginia? About 54.7% of people in Lester, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lester, West Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Lester, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 144 residents, a change of about -30 percent over that period.
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