Harpers Ferry is a tiny town located in the state of West Virginia. With a population of 267 people and four associated neighborhoods, Harpers Ferry is the 237th largest community in West Virginia. Harpers Ferry has a large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic towns in the country.
Harpers Ferry real estate is some of the most expensive in West Virginia, although Harpers Ferry house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.
Of important note, Harpers Ferry is also a town of artists. Harpers Ferry has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Harpers Ferry’s character.
Also of interest is that Harpers Ferry has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 37.78% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. 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.
In addition, Harpers Ferry is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are people who are both educated and wealthy, and thus tend to be older, richer, and more established than young professionals. "Urban sophisticates" is not just about being educated and well-off financially: it is a point of view and state of mind, one that you might call 'urbaneness'. But such people can and do regularly live in small towns, suburbs and rural areas, as well as in big cities. They read, support the arts and high-end shops, and love travel.
Harpers Ferry is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Harpers Ferry’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
One downside of living in Harpers Ferry is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Harpers Ferry, the average commute to work is 46.93 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average.
If knowledge is power, Harpers Ferry is a pretty powerful place. 61.26% of the adults in Harpers Ferry 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 Harpers Ferry in 2022 was $52,917, which is wealthy relative to West Virginia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $211,668 for a family of four. However, Harpers Ferry contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
The people who call Harpers Ferry home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Harpers Ferry residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Harpers Ferry include English, Irish, German, Scottish, and Swedish.
The most common language spoken in Harpers Ferry is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Polish.