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. 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.

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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 21.06% 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.

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.

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.

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 18.37 minutes getting to work every day.

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.