Jobs, pay and daily life in Keyser, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Keyser is a city in West Virginia with 4,857 residents. The median household earns $46,955 a year and the median rent is $648 a month, which is 16.6% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Keyser compares. Among the 40 largest places in West Virginia, Keyser is #32 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #38 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #34 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Mineral County, is #25 of 55 counties for average pay ($54,612).
Keyser has 4,857 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of West Virginia. It covers 2 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,460 people per square mile. The median age is 38.3, 10% younger than the state median (38.3 against 42.7).
The median gross rent is $648 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% below the state median ($648 against $872). Over a year that is 16.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $143,000, which is 3.0 times the median household income ($46,955); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 51.4% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (51.4% against 74.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Mineral County was 3.6%. 45.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Mineral County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.5% drive alone, 2.5% use public transit, 3.1% walk, 11.4% work from home. 6.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 60% below the state average (6.9% against 17.5%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
18.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25% below the state share (18.0% against 24.1%). 0.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 73% below the state share (0.5% against 1.8%). The poverty rate is 31.8%, 90% above the state rate (31.8% against 16.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 28°F (-2.3°C). About 1,045 mm (41 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (117 mm) and Jan the driest (64 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Cumberland (19 miles, rent 14% higher); Winchester (47 miles, rent 103% higher); Cheat Lake (49 miles, rent 73% higher); Brookhaven (49 miles, rent 70% higher). Rent differences are against Keyser; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in West Virginia (239) →State guide: West VirginiaCountry guideMineral CountyWest Virginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 239 federal postings open in West Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.4% |
| Retail trade | 16.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.5% |
| Manufacturing | 10.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.2% |
| Construction | 3.3% |
| Public administration | 3.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.4% |
| Other services | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Keyser lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral County | 26,854 | $1,073 million | $39,953 | 8,694 | 704 | $54,612 | +2.3% | 3.6% | 12,060 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,969 | 41.3% | $82,857 | 2.76 |
| Retail trade | 1,021 | 21.4% | $34,211 | 1.18 |
| Accommodation and food services | 425 | 8.9% | $16,336 | 0.54 |
| Professional and technical services | 389 | 8.2% | $43,814 | 0.64 |
| Construction | 382 | 8.0% | $62,091 | 0.84 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 200 | 4.2% | $28,908 | 0.76 |
| Wholesale trade | 189 | 4.0% | $60,290 | 0.55 |
| Finance and insurance | 149 | 3.1% | $49,863 | 0.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 41 | 0.9% | $18,401 | 0.28 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 67.5% |
| Public transit | 2.5% |
| Walk | 3.1% |
| Work from home | 11.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,955 |
| Income per person | $31,062 |
| Median gross rent per month | $648 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.6% |
| Median home value | $143,000 |
| Homeowners | 51.4% |
| Poverty rate | 31.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.82%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.0% |
| Born abroad | 0.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 45.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.3 | 28 | 64 |
| Feb | -1.2 | 30 | 64 |
| Mar | 3.7 | 39 | 78 |
| Apr | 10.2 | 50 | 91 |
| May | 15.9 | 61 | 117 |
| Jun | 20.5 | 69 | 107 |
| Jul | 23.1 | 74 | 99 |
| Aug | 22.6 | 73 | 86 |
| Sep | 18.8 | 66 | 102 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 53 | 87 |
| Nov | 5.2 | 41 | 69 |
| Dec | 0.0 | 32 | 81 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | MD | 19 mi | 18,804 | $48,162 | $741 |
| Winchester | VA | 47 mi | 27,913 | $63,974 | $1,315 |
| Cheat Lake | WV | 49 mi | 10,902 | $117,014 | $1,124 |
| Brookhaven | WV | 49 mi | 6,212 | $88,438 | $1,104 |
| Uniontown | PA | 51 mi | 9,742 | $35,454 | $774 |
| Morgantown | WV | 53 mi | 30,236 | $44,727 | $937 |
| Martinsburg | WV | 54 mi | 18,904 | $59,555 | $1,150 |
| Westover | WV | 55 mi | 4,026 | $60,769 | $1,025 |
| Front Royal | VA | 56 mi | 15,296 | $64,838 | $1,135 |
| Grafton | WV | 56 mi | 4,618 | $40,402 | $512 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
4,857 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$648 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.6% of the median household income.
$46,955 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Mineral County (latest month 2026M09)).
West Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.