Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, home to about 5,736 people across 3.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 24740, and parts of 24739 are in Princeton too.
Homes sold for a median of $110 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Princeton
Part is in Princeton, part in Oakvale
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Princeton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Princeton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Princeton well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)110 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW)28 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Winston-Salem, NC100 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA370 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Princeton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Princeton had 5,872 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 28th largest of 429 towns in West Virginia by population.
Mercer County grew from 23,023 residents in 1900 to 59,664 in 2020.
Mercer County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 41.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 35 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bluefield Mercer Co Ap, WV weather station (8 miles away).
17,231 jobs at 1,154 businesses in Mercer County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
404 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Princeton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 29 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 74 |
| Dentists | 12 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 120 |
| Mental health providers | 130 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 26 |
| Optometrists | 10 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 14 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Mercer County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakvale SchoolPrinceton | Pre-K–5 | 168 | Public | 9.3 mi |
| Silver Springs Early Learning CenterPrinceton | Pre-K | 335 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Compass Virtual AcademyPrinceton | K–12 | 42 | Alternative Education | 1.2 mi |
| Glenwood School (K-8)Princeton | K–8 | 614 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Melrose Elementary SchoolPrinceton | K–5 | 239 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Princeton Primary SchoolPrinceton | K–2 | 448 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Mercer ElementaryPrinceton | 3–5 | 258 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Straley Elementary SchoolPrinceton | 3–5 | 172 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Pikeview Middle SchoolPrinceton | 6–8 | 502 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Princeton Middle SchoolPrinceton | 6–8 | 488 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Mercer County Technical Education CenterPrinceton | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 1.5 mi |
| Pikeview High SchoolPrinceton | 9–12 | 629 | Public | 4.6 mi |
| Princeton Senior High SchoolPrinceton | 9–12 | 925 | Public | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Princeton? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Oakvale.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.