COUNTY REPORT WV

McDowell County, West Virginia

36 ZIP codes · Home Safety Score unavailable · 0 of 36 tracked ZIP records scored · Updated

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

Unavailable
0 of 36 tracked ZIP records scored
36
ZIP Codes
$48K
Median Home Value
$1,329
Avg Remediation (277% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: McDowell County, West Virginia

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 20.2 (asthma 13.2%, diabetes 21.6%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $1,503, driven primarily by flood

76.5% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2021–2025)

→ Stable trend

EPA violation counts by year across McDowell County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2021
6 (6 health)
2022
12 (12 health)
2023
15 (15 health)
2024
19 (19 health)
2025
12 (12 health)

Peak year: 2024 with 19 violations. Past 5 years: 64 total (64 health-based).

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 13.2% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 21.6% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 46.2% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1959
Median Build Year
76.5%
Pre-1978 Housing
58/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
94%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
High
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $1,503

Flood $629/yr
Energy Code Gap $417/yr
Water / Lead $273/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

9,722 housing units in McDowell County

Pre-1940 26%
1940–1959 23%
1960–1979 23%
1980–1999 17%
2000+ 10%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in McDowell County

$48K
Median Home Value
$1,329
Est. Remediation Cost
2.8%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value moderate burden

Water safety remediation is a moderate expense relative to home values. Most homeowners can address issues through staged improvements over time.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for McDowell County residents

Asthma 13.2% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 21.6% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 46.2% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving McDowell County

6 community water systems serving McDowell County.

Systems with the most violations in McDowell County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in McDowell County

36 ZIP codes tracked in McDowell County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 24801 Welch 244 (38 health) $52K
2 24808 Anawalt 141 (24 health) $29K
3 24811 Avondale $164K
4 24813 Bartley
5 24815 Berwind
6 24816 Big Sandy
7 24817 Bradshaw $50K
8 24826 Cucumber
9 24828 Davy 38 (9 health) $45K
10 24829 Eckman
11 24830 Elbert
12 24831 Elkhorn 162 (28 health) $46K
13 24836 Gary 162 (28 health) $59K
14 24843 Hensley
15 24844 Iaeger 38 (9 health) $66K
16 24846 Isaban $80K
17 24848 Jenkinjones
18 24850 Jolo
19 24853 Kimball 162 (28 health)
20 24855 Kyle
21 24861 Maybeury
22 24862 Mohawk
23 24866 Newhall $17K
24 24868 Northfork 189 (36 health) $39K
25 24871 Pageton 141 (24 health) $39K
26 24872 Panther
27 24873 Paynesville $181K
28 24878 Premier 38 (9 health) $29K
29 24879 Raysal $66K
30 24881 Roderfield 38 (9 health)
31 24884 Squire
32 24887 Switchback
33 24888 Thorpe 21 (4 health) $62K
34 24892 War $38K
35 24894 Warriormine $29K
36 24895 Wilcoe

Recommended Buyer Guides for McDowell County

Designed to find the guide that fits the county, not the other way around - the system reads EPA detections, FEMA hazard layers, and CDC lead-exposure markers, then outputs the categories that resolve those specific risks for households here, with NSF-certified products surfaced when the matching contaminant appears in the local monitoring data.

Overview

McDowell County in West Virginia covers 36 tracked ZIP records. No Home Safety Score is published because the required model evidence is incomplete for every tracked record; missing evidence is not treated as zero.

12 of 12 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 46 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to West Virginia Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many water systems serve McDowell County?
McDowell County is served by 6 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 36 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in McDowell County?
The primary environmental risk factor in McDowell County is flood. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $1,503 per homeowner.
How old are homes in McDowell County?
The median home build year in McDowell County is 1959. 76.5% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). McDowell County, West Virginia Home Safety Profile. https://zipcheckup.com/county/west-virginia/mcdowell/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-west-virginia-mcdowell,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{McDowell County, West Virginia Home Safety Profile}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/west-virginia/mcdowell/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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