COMPARING TWO PLACES
Bluefield vs Beckley
PLACE A
Bluefield, Virginia
VS
PLACE B
Beckley, West Virginia
Bluefield is 70% smaller than Beckley. Bluefield earns more, with a median household income $8,215 higher.
BLUEFIELDBECKLEYDIFFERENCE
Total population4,83916,373−70% vs Beckley
Population density5101,724−1,214
Population growth-6.4%-1.9%−4.5 pts
Median age42.242.3−0.1
Male50.2%48.8%+1.4 pts
Female49.8%51.2%−1.4 pts
Foreign-born3.9%3.0%+0.9 pts
White, non-Hispanic88.5%70.6%+17.8 pts
Black5.5%16.5%−11.0 pts
Hispanic / Latino2.5%3.6%−1.1 pts
Asian1.6%2.7%−1.0 pts
Other1.9%6.7%−4.8 pts
Median household income$54,041$45,826+$8,215
Per capita income$34,791$31,431+$3,360
Poverty rate15.6%28.9%−13.3 pts
Income inequality (Gini)0.5280.536Even
Bachelor's degree or higher29.8%29.2%+0.7 pts
Graduate degree11.6%12.0%−0.4 pts
Unemployment rate3.4%3.2%+0.2 pts
Labor force participation52.3%50.4%+2.0 pts
Median home value$152,500$158,000−$5,500
Median gross rent$870$869+$1
Owner-occupied64.2%55.4%+8.7 pts
Housing vacancy rate7.3%18.3%−11.0 pts
Rent-burdened households51.0%51.1%−0.2 pts
Average commute28.916.5+12.4
Worked from home8.1%7.3%+0.9 pts
Public transit to work0.0%0.3%−0.3 pts
Uninsured2.1%3.0%−0.9 pts
Population, 1990 – 2025