Wood County

Wood County is located in northwestern West Virginia along the Ohio River, bordering Ohio and forming part of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Established in 1798 from Harrison County and named for Virginia governor James Wood, it developed as a regional transportation and industrial center tied to river commerce and later rail and highway links. With a population of roughly 84,000 (2020), it is a mid-sized county by West Virginia standards. The county’s landscape combines river valleys and low rolling hills, with the Ohio River and the Little Kanawha River shaping settlement patterns and local industry. Parkersburg, the county seat and largest city, anchors the county’s more urbanized core, while surrounding areas remain largely suburban and rural. The economy includes manufacturing, chemical and materials-related industries, health care, education, and service-sector employment, reflecting Wood County’s role as a regional hub.

Wood County is located in northwestern West Virginia along the Ohio River, with Parkersburg as the county seat and principal population center. The county sits within the Mid-Ohio Valley region bordering Ohio.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Wood County, West Virginia, Wood County had a population of 84,296 (2020 decennial census).

Age & Gender

County-level age and sex distributions are published by the U.S. Census Bureau through QuickFacts and decennial/ACS profile tables. For the most current consolidated measures, use the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Wood County, which reports:

• Age distribution (key age brackets, including under 18 and 65+)
• Sex composition (percent female and male)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Wood County, the county’s racial and ethnic composition is reported across standard Census categories, including:

• White (alone), Black or African American (alone), American Indian and Alaska Native (alone), Asian (alone), and two or more races
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Household & Housing Data

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Wood County also provides core household and housing indicators, including:

• Number of households, average household size, and owner-occupied housing rate
• Housing unit totals, median value of owner-occupied housing, and median gross rent
• Selected measures of housing characteristics and socioeconomic context commonly used in local planning

For local government and planning resources, visit the Wood County official website.

Wood County, West Virginia includes the Parkersburg urban area along the Ohio River and more rural communities, where lower population density and last‑mile buildout costs can constrain reliable home internet access and, by extension, routine email use.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not published; broadband subscription, device access, and demographics are standard proxies for likely email adoption. The U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) data portal provides Wood County indicators for household broadband subscriptions and computer ownership, which are closely associated with regular email access.

Age structure also influences adoption: older populations tend to have lower digital service use rates, affecting overall email penetration. Wood County’s age distribution and median age are available via ACS demographic tables.

Gender distribution is generally less determinative of email access than age and connectivity; Wood County’s sex composition is available from the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile.

Connectivity limitations are shaped by service availability and terrain; county broadband challenges and state initiatives are documented by the West Virginia Office of Broadband and federal coverage maps from the FCC National Broadband Map.

Wood County is in west-central West Virginia along the Ohio River, anchored by Parkersburg and the broader Mid-Ohio Valley. The county combines an urbanized riverfront corridor with surrounding hills and valleys typical of the Appalachian Plateau. This mix of settlement patterns—denser areas near Parkersburg and lower-density terrain outside the river corridor—matters for mobile connectivity because signal propagation, tower siting, and backhaul deployment are generally easier in flatter, denser areas than in hilly, wooded terrain and sparsely populated zones.

Mobile access and penetration (adoption indicators)

County-level “mobile penetration” is not typically published as a single metric. The most comparable adoption indicators available at local geographies come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s household connectivity measures.

• Household internet subscription and device types (ACS): The American Community Survey (ACS) reports whether households have an internet subscription and whether they rely on particular device categories (including smartphones) for internet access. These tables can be used to measure:

  • Share of households with any internet subscription (broadband of any type).
  • Share of households with cellular data plans (as a subscription type).
  • Share of households with a smartphone (as an access device), including households that may be “smartphone-only” for internet access.

  The most direct way to retrieve Wood County figures is via U.S. Census Bureau data tools and ACS table series covering “Computer and Internet Use.” See the Census Bureau’s main portal and data tools at Census.gov and the query interface at data.census.gov.
  Limitation: ACS provides modeled estimates with margins of error, and does not measure mobile “subscriptions per person,” prepaid churn, or carrier-reported active lines at the county level.

• Phone service access as a household characteristic: Census household surveys focus more on internet subscription and devices than on basic mobile voice subscription. As a result, county-level mobile voice penetration is not consistently available as a standardized public statistic.

Network availability vs. household adoption (clear distinction)

Network availability (supply-side coverage)

Network availability refers to where providers report service as available, not whether residents subscribe or receive consistent in-home performance.

• FCC mobile broadband coverage maps: The FCC National Broadband Map provides provider-reported mobile broadband availability by technology generation and carrier, typically including 4G LTE and 5G variants, with map views that can be filtered and inspected locally. This is the primary public source for mobile availability at fine geography. See the FCC National Broadband Map.
  Interpretation note: Availability reflects reported coverage and modeled signal assumptions; it does not guarantee usable indoor coverage, consistent throughput, or capacity at peak hours.

• State broadband mapping and planning context: West Virginia’s broadband planning and mapping resources provide additional context and may include challenge processes or supplemental datasets. See West Virginia’s broadband office (WV Office of Broadband).
  Limitation: State sources often emphasize fixed broadband; mobile layers may rely on FCC datasets or carrier submissions.

Household adoption (demand-side subscription and usage)

Adoption refers to whether households actually subscribe and the device types they use. For Wood County, the most defensible public indicators are ACS household internet subscription and devices (smartphone/computer), accessible via the Census links above.

Mobile internet usage patterns (4G and 5G availability)

• 4G LTE: In most U.S. counties, 4G LTE is the baseline mobile broadband layer with the broadest footprint; in Wood County, the FCC map is the authoritative public reference for the spatial extent of LTE availability by carrier (outdoor modeled availability).
  Limitation: Public datasets generally do not publish countywide LTE “usage share” (for example, percentage of traffic on LTE vs. 5G) at the county level.

• 5G (availability and practical reach): The FCC map distinguishes 5G availability as reported by providers. In practice, 5G coverage can vary substantially within a county, with stronger continuity in and around denser corridors (such as the Parkersburg area) and more variable coverage in lower-density, hillier areas. The degree of 5G availability (and whether it is low-band, mid-band, or high-band/mmWave) is carrier- and location-specific and is best verified through the FCC map rather than generalized countywide statements.
  Limitation: Publicly accessible, county-level datasets do not provide standardized measures of 5G performance (latency/throughput) or adoption (share of residents with 5G-capable plans/devices).

• Roaming and river-border dynamics: Wood County’s border location along the Ohio River can create localized network handoff/roaming behavior near state lines and across river valleys, but public county-level datasets do not quantify roaming incidence or its effects on user experience.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

• Smartphone prevalence as an internet-access device (ACS): The ACS measures whether households have a smartphone, a desktop/laptop, a tablet, or other device types, and whether they have an internet subscription. These data support county estimates for:

  • Smartphone presence in the household.
  • Households that may depend on smartphones for internet access in addition to, or instead of, computers.

  These measures are retrievable for Wood County through data.census.gov using ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables.
  Limitation: ACS is household-based rather than individual-based, and does not identify device models, operating systems, or whether phones are 5G-capable.

• Non-phone mobile connectivity (hotspots, fixed wireless, IoT): Public sources generally do not provide county-level inventories of mobile hotspots or IoT device counts. Fixed wireless broadband (distinct from mobile smartphone service) may appear in FCC fixed broadband datasets, but that is a different service category than mobile broadband.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

• Population distribution and density: Adoption and network economics are shaped by where people live—denser areas support more cell sites and capacity per square mile. Parkersburg and nearby developed areas typically have stronger infrastructure density than outlying communities. County-level density and urban/rural splits can be sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s geographic and demographic profiles at Census QuickFacts.
  Limitation: QuickFacts summarizes demographics but does not directly quantify mobile adoption.

• Terrain and land cover: Wooded hills and valleys can reduce line-of-sight, increasing the need for additional towers, careful antenna placement, and lower-frequency spectrum to maintain coverage. This primarily affects availability and quality (coverage continuity, indoor reception) rather than the presence of service in provider-reported maps alone.

• Income, age, and disability status (adoption-related): Socioeconomic characteristics correlate with internet subscription rates and device ownership in many ACS analyses. For Wood County, the ACS can be used to compare internet subscription and device access with income and age distributions at county level via data.census.gov.
  Limitation: Public ACS tables support correlation-style descriptions but do not establish causation; county-level cross-tabs may be limited depending on table availability and sample size.

• Rurality and infrastructure alternatives: In areas where fixed broadband options are limited or expensive, households may rely more heavily on mobile data plans and smartphones for internet access. The ACS “cellular data plan” subscription measure can indicate the prevalence of this subscription type, but it does not identify whether the cellular plan is the primary connection or a supplement.

Primary public sources and data limitations (county-level)

• FCC availability (network supply): FCC National Broadband Map for reported 4G/5G availability by provider and technology.
• Census adoption and device access (household demand): data.census.gov and Census.gov for ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables (internet subscription types and device availability).
• State context: WV Office of Broadband for statewide planning context and mapping references.

Key limitations for Wood County specifically:

• No standardized, public, county-level statistic for “mobile penetration” as active mobile subscriptions per resident.
• FCC maps describe availability, not subscription, and are based on provider-reported/model-based coverage.
• County-level measures of 4G vs. 5G usage, device capability (5G phones), and mobile performance are not consistently available in public datasets; third-party speed-test aggregations exist but are not official government statistics and vary in methodology.

Wood County is in northwestern West Virginia along the Ohio River, anchored by Parkersburg and Vienna and influenced by the broader Mid-Ohio Valley media market. The county’s mix of small-city and suburban settlement patterns, commuting ties to regional employers (including legacy manufacturing/chemical activity and growing health/education services), and an older-than-U.S.-average age profile common in West Virginia shape social media use toward “keeping up with family/community,” local news, and practical information sharing rather than influencer-led discovery.

User statistics (penetration and active use)

• Local (county-specific) penetration: No reputable, publicly available dataset provides platform penetration or active-user percentages specifically for Wood County at a statistically robust level. Most reliable measurement is available at the national level and, in some products, at the state level behind paywalls or restricted access.
• National benchmarks used to approximate baseline adoption:
  • Adults using any social media: ~69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2023). Source: Pew Research Center report on U.S. social media use (2023).
  • Local implication for Wood County: Given Wood County’s regional characteristics (notably an older age profile typical of West Virginia), overall penetration is generally expected to skew below the national average, primarily due to age-related adoption differences documented in national surveys.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

National survey patterns consistently show age as the strongest predictor of social media adoption and platform mix:

• Highest overall use: 18–29 and 30–49 age groups have the highest social media usage rates.
• Lower overall use: 65+ is the lowest-usage age group, though usage remains substantial and concentrated on a smaller set of platforms (especially Facebook).
• Platform-by-age pattern (national):
  • YouTube is used by large majorities across age groups.
  • Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok skew younger.
  • Facebook skews older relative to other major platforms and remains a primary platform for adults 50+. Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.

Gender breakdown

• County-specific gender-by-platform: No public, reliable dataset reports Wood County social media usage by gender.
• National gender patterns (directional):
  • Women are more likely than men to report using some platforms (notably Pinterest), while differences are smaller on others; platform gaps vary year to year.
  • Overall “any social media” use is broadly similar by gender compared with age effects. Source: Pew Research Center platform demographics (2023).

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

Percentages below are U.S. adult usage (not Wood County-specific) and serve as the most reputable proxy for baseline prevalence:

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (formerly Twitter): 22% Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

• Community and local-information orientation: In counties with small-city hubs (Parkersburg/Vienna) and dispersed surrounding communities, engagement commonly concentrates on local Facebook activity (community groups, event posts, school/sports updates, local-government notices) and YouTube for how-to/entertainment.
• Age-shaped platform roles (nationally documented):
  • Facebook functions as a general-purpose network and local community channel, especially for older adults.
  • Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat are more oriented to short-form visual content and trend-based discovery among younger users.
  • LinkedIn is primarily work/professional identity and job-networking. Source: Pew Research Center findings on platform usage patterns.
• News and information behavior: Social platforms play a significant role in how Americans encounter news, with variation by platform; Facebook and YouTube are frequently cited pathways for news exposure among U.S. adults. Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media and News fact sheet.
• Messaging and sharing norms: Usage trends increasingly include sharing content via private or semi-private channels (messaging apps, groups) rather than only public posting, aligning with broader U.S. engagement shifts documented in research on social interaction online. Source: Pew Research Center Internet & Technology research.

Wood County, West Virginia maintains family and associate-related public records through state and local offices. Birth and death records (vital records) are created and kept by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Vital Registration Office; county offices commonly provide guidance but do not serve as the official custodian. Adoption records are generally sealed under state law, with access limited to eligible parties and authorized processes.

Public databases relevant to family/associate research include Wood County land and tax records and court dockets. Recorded instruments affecting family or associates (deeds, liens, probate-related filings) are indexed by the Wood County Clerk. Some county records are searchable online through the Wood County Clerk site and related links for records research. Case information for certain courts may be available through the West Virginia Judiciary resources.

Access occurs online where a database exists and in person through the Wood County Clerk’s office for recorded documents and archival volumes, with copying fees governed by office policy. Vital records are requested from the state via the WV Vital Registration program, which issues certified copies.

Privacy restrictions commonly apply to recent birth records, sealed adoption files, and specific court matters; public access typically increases with record age and document type.

Types of records available

Marriage records

• Marriage license applications and licenses: Issued by the Wood County Clerk; typically includes the application (often with supporting data) and the license authorizing the marriage.
• Marriage returns/certificates (minister/officiant return): The officiant’s certification that the marriage was performed; recorded by the county clerk as part of the marriage record.
• Marriage record books/indexes: Bound volumes or digital equivalents maintained by the county clerk for recorded marriages.

Divorce records

• Divorce case files: Civil court case records maintained by the Wood County Circuit Clerk (pleadings, motions, orders, evidence filings where applicable, and final orders).
• Final divorce orders/decrees: The court’s final judgment dissolving the marriage; included within the circuit court case file and commonly obtainable as a certified copy from the circuit clerk.

Annulment records

• Annulment case files and final orders: Annulments are handled by the circuit court as civil actions; the case file and final order are maintained by the Wood County Circuit Clerk in the same general manner as divorce cases.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

Wood County (local offices)

• Marriage records: Filed and recorded with the Wood County Clerk (county-level vital record for marriage licensing and recording).
  • Access commonly includes in-person requests at the clerk’s office and requests for certified copies for legal use; indexing/search procedures are maintained by the clerk.
• Divorce and annulment records: Filed with the Wood County Circuit Clerk (circuit court records).
  • Access commonly includes in-person review of public court files during business hours and requests for copies/certifications from the circuit clerk.

State-level copies (West Virginia)

• Marriage and divorce (and annulment where reported as a vital event): Statewide vital records are maintained by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR), Vital Registration Office. Certified copies are available through the state vital records system for eligible requesters under state rules.
  • Reference: WVDHHR Vital Registration

Historical/research access

• Recorded marriage registers and some court material may be available through archives/microfilm collections. A major access point for West Virginia county records is the West Virginia Archives and History program.
  • Reference: West Virginia State Archives (WV Culture)

Typical information included in these records

Marriage licenses and recorded marriage records

Common data elements include:

• Full names of the parties
• Date and place of marriage (and/or intended place; performance date recorded via return)
• Ages or dates of birth
• Residences (city/county/state)
• Birthplaces
• Parents’ names (often including mother’s maiden name) on the application
• Marital status (single/divorced/widowed) and number of prior marriages in many applications
• Officiant’s name, title, and signature; date performed; location performed
• License number, issuance date, and recording information

Divorce decrees and divorce case files

Common data elements include:

• Names of parties and case number
• Filing date, hearing dates, and final order date
• Grounds/claims and jurisdictional findings required by West Virginia law
• Disposition terms (as applicable): property division, allocation of debts, spousal support, child custody/visitation, child support, restoration of a former name
• Incorporation of settlement agreements/parenting plans where filed with the court
• Judge’s signature and court seal for certified copies

Annulment orders and annulment case files

Common data elements include:

• Names of parties and case number
• Findings supporting annulment under West Virginia law (marriage treated as invalid/voidable under stated legal grounds)
• Orders addressing ancillary issues (property, support, children) where applicable under the court’s authority
• Judge’s signature and date of entry

Privacy and legal restrictions

• Marriage records: Marriage licenses and recorded marriage returns are generally treated as public county records. Access to certified copies is typically administered by the county clerk under West Virginia public records practices and identity/fee requirements for certification.
• Divorce and annulment records: Court files are generally public records; however, sealed records and restricted filings are not publicly accessible. West Virginia courts may limit public access to specific documents or information by order (for example, matters involving minors, sensitive personal information, or legally protected confidential information).
• Redaction and protected identifiers: Courts and record custodians commonly restrict or redact certain personal identifiers in records made available to the public (for example, Social Security numbers and other protected data) pursuant to court rules and applicable privacy practices.
• Certified copies and eligibility: State-issued certified copies of vital records (including marriage and divorce certificates/verification) are governed by WVDHHR Vital Registration rules, which include requester identification requirements and statutory limitations on issuance in certain contexts.
• Annulments involving sensitive circumstances: As with divorce, annulment records may be subject to sealing or access restrictions by court order depending on the case.

Wood County is in northwestern West Virginia along the Ohio River, anchored by Parkersburg and Vienna and functioning as part of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. The county’s population is older than the U.S. average and is concentrated in the Parkersburg urbanized area with surrounding small towns and rural hollows, creating a mix of city-adjacent neighborhoods and low-density housing.

Education Indicators

Public schools (count and names)

Wood County public schools are operated by Wood County Schools. A current, authoritative directory of school counts and school names is maintained by the district; the directory is the most reliable consolidated source for the full list (elementary, middle, and high schools): Wood County Schools (official site and school directory).
Note: A single, stable “number of public schools” figure varies by year due to openings/closures and program moves; the district directory is the appropriate reference.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratio (county/district level): Reported in state and federal school report cards; values fluctuate year to year and by school. The most direct sources are:
  • West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) school/district report cards
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) district and school profiles
• Graduation rate (high school): West Virginia and district-level cohort graduation rates are published through WVDE accountability reporting (with school-level variation). The WVDE report card system is the standard source: WVDE reporting and accountability.
  Data availability note: This summary does not embed a specific ratio or graduation-rate percentage because the values are published in dynamic report-card tables and can differ by school year and school; the linked sources provide the most recent official figures.

Adult educational attainment

Adult attainment for Wood County is consistently tracked through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS):

• High school diploma (or higher): Available as a county estimate in ACS table S1501.
• Bachelor’s degree (or higher): Available in the same table; Wood County typically trends below the U.S. average for bachelor’s attainment and at/above many peer rural counties for high school completion.
  Primary source: U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov (ACS S1501).
  Data availability note: The most recent 1-year ACS may not publish for some counties depending on sample size; the 5-year ACS is commonly used for county-level educational attainment.

Notable programs (STEM, vocational training, AP)

• Career and technical education (CTE)/vocational pathways: West Virginia supports county CTE programming and regional career/technical centers; Wood County students participate through district offerings and state-approved pathways. Program frameworks and approved pathways are documented by WVDE: WVDE Career and Technical Education.
• Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit: AP course availability is typically concentrated at the high-school level; dual-credit opportunities are commonly delivered through partnerships with West Virginia higher education institutions. Verified course/program offerings are best sourced from the district and individual high-school course catalogs (district site above) and statewide AP participation reporting when published through WVDE.

School safety measures and counseling resources

• Safety: West Virginia school safety requirements and initiatives are guided by state policy and WVDE school safety resources, including safety planning and coordination with local law enforcement where applicable: WVDE School Safety.
• Student support/counseling: Counseling and student support staffing and services are typically managed at the school level (school counselors, student assistance teams, referrals). District and school webpages provide the most current contacts and service descriptions: Wood County Schools student services information.
  Data availability note: Public, comparable countywide counts of counselors/social workers by school are not consistently presented in a single static table; school report cards and district staffing rosters are the usual proxies.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

Wood County unemployment is tracked monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and by the state workforce agency. The most recent annualized or latest-month value is available here:

• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
• WorkForce West Virginia (labor market information)
  Data availability note: This summary does not hard-code a single unemployment percentage because the “most recent” figure changes monthly; LAUS provides the authoritative current value for Wood County.

Major industries and employment sectors

Wood County’s employment base reflects a mid-sized regional service center with legacy manufacturing and energy-related activity:

• Health care and social assistance (regional medical services and outpatient care)
• Retail trade and accommodation/food services (Parkersburg commercial corridor)
• Manufacturing (including chemicals and related manufacturing in the Ohio River valley context)
• Educational services and public administration
• Transportation/warehousing and construction (supporting regional logistics and building trades)
  Sector composition can be verified with ACS industry tables and local labor market profiles:
• ACS county industry and class-of-worker tables (data.census.gov)
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (state/metro occupational structure)

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Common occupational groups in Wood County typically include:

• Office and administrative support
• Sales and related
• Healthcare practitioners/support
• Production and transportation/material moving
• Construction and extraction
• Education, training, and library
• Protective service
  The most comparable occupational distributions are available via ACS occupation tables and BLS OES (often at the metro or state level rather than county-only):
• ACS occupation tables (data.census.gov)
• BLS OES (occupational groups and wages)
  Proxy note: When county-level OES detail is limited, Parkersburg–Vienna metro and West Virginia statewide OES distributions serve as the closest standardized proxies.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Mean travel time to work: Published by the ACS for Wood County (commute time and means of transportation). The county’s commuting pattern typically reflects car-dependent travel with a mix of short urban commutes in Parkersburg/Vienna and longer drives from rural parts of the county.
  Source: ACS commuting tables (data.census.gov).

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

A notable share of residents commute within the county to Parkersburg-area employers, while a meaningful portion travel to neighboring counties and across the Ohio River into Washington County, Ohio and other nearby labor markets. The most standardized measures are:

• “County-to-county worker flows” and inflow/outflow: U.S. Census LEHD/OnTheMap worker flows.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership and rental share

• Homeownership rate / renter share: Published in ACS housing tenure tables for Wood County; the county typically shows majority owner-occupied housing consistent with many West Virginia counties, with renters concentrated in and near Parkersburg and major corridors.
  Source: ACS housing tenure (data.census.gov).

Median property values and recent trends

• Median value of owner-occupied housing: Provided by ACS (median home value). County trends in recent years generally reflect modest appreciation relative to national markets, with neighborhood-level variation and stronger pricing near Parkersburg/Vienna amenities and newer subdivisions.
  Source: ACS median home value (data.census.gov).
  Trend proxy note: For near-real-time market trend context (list prices and sales patterns), regional real estate market reports are commonly used, but ACS remains the most standardized public statistic for median value.

Typical rent prices

• Median gross rent: Published by ACS and varies by unit type and location; rents are typically lower than large metro U.S. averages, with higher rents nearer employment centers, hospitals, and retail corridors.
  Source: ACS median gross rent (data.census.gov).

Housing types

Wood County’s housing stock is a mix of:

• Single-family detached homes (dominant in many neighborhoods and rural areas)
• Small multifamily buildings and apartment complexes (more common in Parkersburg/Vienna)
• Manufactured homes (present in some outlying and rural tracts)
• Rural lots/acreage outside the urbanized area
  These distributions are quantified in ACS “units in structure” tables: ACS housing structure type (data.census.gov).

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

• Parkersburg/Vienna areas: Greater proximity to hospitals, major retail, and multiple schools; higher share of renters and multifamily units in some tracts.
• Suburban/edge areas (e.g., corridor neighborhoods): More single-family subdivisions, moderate commute times, and access to arterial routes.
• Rural portions of the county: Larger lots, limited transit, and longer drives to schools/amenities; housing often older with a higher share of owner-occupancy.
  Proxy note: Neighborhood-level metrics (walkability, amenity access) are not uniformly published as county government statistics; proximity patterns are inferred from the county’s settlement geography and school/retail clustering around Parkersburg/Vienna.

Property tax overview (rate and typical homeowner cost)

West Virginia property taxes are administered at the county level with state assessment rules; effective rates vary by class (owner-occupied vs. other), levies, and assessed values.

• Property tax rates and bills: The most direct local references are the Wood County Assessor and Sheriff/Tax offices (current levy rates, assessments, billing and payment).
  General statewide framework: West Virginia State Tax Department.
  Data availability note: A single “average property tax rate” is not consistently reported as one official county statistic; typical homeowner cost is best approximated using median home value (ACS) combined with current levy rates from county tax offices and state assessment ratios.