
The overall cost of living in this area is much lower than average. This includes everyday goods and services, as well as housing, utilities and health care.
This area has received high scores in the housing category. This could be due to a positive home affordability ratio, high appreciation rates or elevated home values.
A majority of amenities are not ideally situated within a reasonable walking distance, which may lead residents to rely on a vehicle or public transportation.
Public transportation is not readily available in this area and the average commute time to work could also be longer than the national average.
A low score in the employment category could indicate that this area struggles with high unemployment rates and low household income and income per capita levels.
Poor air quality and the inaccessibility of certain health related facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctors and pharmacies could have all contributed to the low score in this category.
Lower than average education levels, poor reading and math scores, as well as the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools could all be factors in the low schools score.
Bluefield is a moderately-sized city located in the state of West Virginia. The city has a population of 10,163 inhabitants. If we take a look at the last Census, the vast majority of the population falls within one racial group (69% White). Given that fact, Bluefield could be considered less diverse than other cities. Not a fan of sitting in traffic during your commute to work? Bluefield offers shorter work commutes, with an average one-way commute time taking only 19 minutes, far lower than the national average of 26 minutes.
Whether you’re moving to a new area to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Bluefield could be a positive experience compared to other cities in West Virginia if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Bluefield, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, health & safety, housing and more.
Bluefield has a livability score of 53/100 and is ranked #303 in West Virginia and #24,106 in the USA. This score ranks well below the national average. With such a low livability score, it might be worth investigating a little further. For each of the livability categories, we know that Bluefield ranks very well for housing (A). On a more negative note, Bluefield does not have favorable scores for the following: amenities (F), crime (F), education (F) and employment (F). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Finding affordable real estate and housing in Bluefield can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.
Assuming that Bluefield meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Bluefield. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Bluefield are simply unattainable. Median real estate prices in Bluefield come in at $143,673, which is 25.2% lower than the West Virginia average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Bluefield, the home price to income ratio is 2.7, which is 12.9% lower than the West Virginia average.
| Statistic | Bluefield | West Virginia | National |
| Average one way commute | 19min | 26min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 82.7% | 82.0% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.0% | 9.9% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.0% | 0.9% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.3% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 6.8% | 3.1% | 4.6% |