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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 1,533 people and three associated neighborhoods, Shepherdstown is the 124th largest community in West Virginia. Much of the housing stock in Shepherdstown was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic towns in the country.

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.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 16.02% 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 small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Shepherdstown to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.

Residents of the town have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 18.19 minutes getting to work every day.

Being a small town, Shepherdstown does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

If knowledge is power, Shepherdstown is a pretty powerful place. 54.29% of the adults in Shepherdstown have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Shepherdstown in 2018 was $21,508, 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 $86,032 for a family of four. However, Shepherdstown contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Shepherdstown is a very 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 French.