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Lester is a tiny town of 377 people in Raleigh County, West Virginia. It's about 8 miles from Beckley, WV and 176 miles from Charlotte, NC, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 81°F and winter highs 41°F, with about 41 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $120k and rent runs about $850 a month.
377people
$120kTypical home
$850/moRent
81° / 41°Summer / winter
41"Snow
210Sunny days
150Rain/snow days
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Size & setting
- Tiny town of 377
- Part of a metro area
- About 752 people per sq mi
- 176 mi to Charlotte, NC
- 8 mi to Beckley, WV
- 8 mi to the nearest town of 10k+
Money
- Typical home $120k (≈$758/mo)
- Median rent $850/mo
- Median household income $52k
- Property tax about 0.6% of value
- 5.0% unemployment
Weather
- Summer highs around 81°F
- Winter highs around 41°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
- 150 days a year with rain or snow
- 41" of snow a year
- 14 days a year with 1"+ of snow
- Rarely hits 100°F
- 12 nights a year below 10°F
- Usually calm
Safety
- Low violent crime (260 per 100k), county-wide
- Above-average property crime (2,200 per 100k), county-wide
People
- Median age 56
- 29% of households have kids
- 25% are 65 or older
- 18% have a college degree
- Not very diverse
- 3% of residents are college students
Getting around & homes
- Average commute 41 min
- 1% walk or take transit to work
- 10 mi to BKW airport
- 136 mi to GSO (major hub)
- 16 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
- 69% single-family homes
- Typical home built around 1983
- 72% of homes have broadband
Outdoors
- Hilly terrain
- Elevation 2,031 ft
- 220 mi to the ocean
- 91 mi to a big lake
- 9 mi to the nearest trailhead
- 13 mi to the nearest ski area
- 3 mi to the nearest campground
- 12 golf courses within 25 mi
Things to do
- 68 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
- 8 bars within 25 mi
- 5 coffee shops within 25 mi
- 1 music venue or club within 25 mi
- 7 museums within 25 mi
- No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
- 3 mi to the nearest farmers market
Everyday
- Schools in the top 22% of West Virginia districts (reading)
- 3 mi to the nearest grocery store
- 8 mi to the nearest ER hospital
- 52 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
- 8 mi to the nearest vet
- 45 mi to the nearest dog park
- 8 congregations per 10k people
- 7 mi to the nearest college
Politics
- Raleigh County: R+54 in 2024
- West Virginia: R+42 in 2024
Natural hazards
- Very low hurricane risk
- Very low tornado risk
- Moderate wildfire risk
- Very 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.