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Gary is a tiny town of 861 people in McDowell County, West Virginia. It's about 35 miles from Beckley, WV and 154 miles from Charlotte, NC, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 84°F and winter highs 44°F, with about 30 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $51k and rent runs about $643 a month.
861people
$51kTypical home
$643/moRent
84° / 44°Summer / winter
30"Snow
210Sunny days
156Rain/snow days
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Size & setting
- Tiny town of 861
- A standalone small town, not a suburb
- About 1,024 people per sq mi
- 154 mi to Charlotte, NC
- 35 mi to Beckley, WV
- 35 mi to the nearest town of 10k+
Money
- Typical home $51k (≈$321/mo)
- Median rent $643/mo
- Median household income $42k
- Property tax about 0.4% of value
- 4.0% unemployment
Weather
- Summer highs around 84°F
- Winter highs around 44°F
- Somewhat humid summers (dew point 61°F)
- 210 sunny days a year (66 totally clear)
- 155 cloudy days a year
- 54 of 90 winter days are gray
- 156 days a year with rain or snow
- 30" of snow a year
- 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
- Rarely hits 100°F
- 8 nights a year below 10°F
- Usually calm
People
- Median age 42
- 15% of households have kids
- 22% are 65 or older
- 10% have a college degree
- Mixed community
- 8% of residents are college students
Getting around & homes
- Average commute 45 min
- 1% walk or take transit to work
- 37 mi to BKW airport
- 124 mi to GSO (major hub)
- 41 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
- 85% single-family homes
- Typical home built around 1938
- 88% of homes have broadband
Outdoors
- Hilly terrain
- Elevation 1,476 ft
- 234 mi to the ocean
- 97 mi to a big lake
- 11 mi to the nearest trailhead
- 28 mi to the nearest ski area
- 10 mi to the nearest campground
- 8 golf courses within 25 mi
Things to do
- 63 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
- 4 bars within 25 mi
- 3 coffee shops within 25 mi
- No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
- 5 museums within 25 mi
- No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
- 31 mi to the nearest farmers market
Everyday
- Schools in the bottom 2% of West Virginia districts (reading)
- 5 mi to the nearest grocery store
- 7 mi to the nearest ER hospital
- 31 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
- 20 mi to the nearest vet
- 57 mi to the nearest dog park
- 5 congregations per 10k people
- 15 mi to the nearest college
Politics
- McDowell County: R+60 in 2024
- West Virginia: R+42 in 2024
Natural hazards
- Low hurricane risk
- Very low tornado risk
- High wildfire risk
- Low earthquake risk
- Moderate flood risk
- Very low drought risk
- Moderate winter storm risk
- Very low heat wave risk
- Very low volcano risk
Limited data: this place is small enough that most of its Census numbers (rent, home value, income, age) are blended with county figures. Treat its match as a rough guide.