| Official Name: | Lester, West Virginia |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Raleigh |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1.30 |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.30 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.50 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.50 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Est: | 333 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 337 |
| Population Density Km2: | 241.86 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 626.75 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 2031 |
| Coordinates: | 37.735°N -81.3014°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 25865 |
| Area Code: | 304 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 54-46468[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2391270 |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Logo of Lester, West Virginia.svg |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Logo |
Lester is a town in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 337 at the 2020 census.[2] The community was named after Champ Lester, a local pioneer.[4]
Lester is located at 37.7347°N -81.3011°W (37.734740, -81.300985).[5] The town is situated along Surveyor Creek, which is part of the Coal River watershed, and is concentrated around the intersection of state routes 97 and 305. The latter highway connects the town with the Beckley area a few miles to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.5sqmi, all land.[6]
At the 2010 census there were 348 people, 143 households, and 95 families living in the town. The population density was 696PD/sqmi. There were 175 housing units at an average density of 350/mi2. The racial makeup of the town was 83.9% White, 13.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3%.[7]
Of the 143 households 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.7% of households were one person and 15.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the town was 40.1 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
At the 2000 census there were 322 people, 142 households, and 89 families living in the town. The population density was 650.5/mi2. There were 168 housing units at an average density of 339.4/mi2. The racial makeup of the town was 79.81% White, 19.88% African American, and 0.31% from two or more races.Of the 142 households 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.1% of households were one person and 19.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 20.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median household income was $24,375 and the median family income was $30,938. Males had a median income of $25,208 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,026. About 14.6% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.