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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Shepherdstown, WV
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Shepherdstown profile


Living in Shepherdstown



Shepherdstown is a very small town located in the state of West Virginia. With a population of 1,537 people and three associated neighborhoods, Shepherdstown is the 124th largest community in West Virginia. Shepherdstown has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic towns.

Shepherdstown real estate is some of the most expensive in West Virginia, although Shepherdstown house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Of important note, Shepherdstown is also a town of artists. Shepherdstown has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Shepherdstown’s character.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 21.06% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Shepherdstown is a place where college students are a big part of the character and culture of the town. Small towns have often struggled with declining populations over the past few decades, but the presence of such a large college student population has helped Shepherdstown to fight this trend. Not only does the college population add spending and jobs to local economy, but it also contributes a very tangible, youthful energy to the town.

For a small town, there is also a high proportion of single, often educated, people living in Shepherdstown. This is not typical for smaller communities in America, and adds a feeling of vibrancy to Shepherdstown.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Shepherdstown spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 18.37 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the town are less than they would otherwise be.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Shepherdstown. 71.37% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Shepherdstown in 2022 was $22,913, which is lower middle income relative to West Virginia, and low income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $91,652 for a family of four. However, Shepherdstown contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Shepherdstown is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Shepherdstown home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Shepherdstown residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Shepherdstown include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Scots-Irish.

The most common language spoken in Shepherdstown is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Spanish.