Huntington

Huntington sits along the Ohio River in West Virginia's southwestern corner, a former railroad and manufacturing hub now shaped by Marshall University and a slow, determined effort to rebuild after decades of economic decline and the opioid crisis that hit this region especially hard. The average household income here hovers around $45,000 a year, well below the national figure, and poverty touches a large share of the population, particularly in the older neighborhoods near downtown. Cabell County's point-in-time count identified 217 people experiencing homelessness in 2023, a number advocates say likely undercounts people sleeping in cars, campgrounds, or doubled up with family. Despite hard times, Huntington has a real network of people trying to help: the Huntington City Mission offers shelter and meals, Ebenezer Medical Outreach provides low-cost or free healthcare, and the Harmony House day shelter gives people a place to rest, shower, and connect with case workers during daytime hours. Cammack Children's Center and the Salvation Army also step in for families and individuals in crisis. This is a city that has seen rough years and knows what it means to hold on and keep going, so if you're reading this while trying to figure out your next meal or where to sleep tonight, know that you're not invisible here, and there are doors in this town that are meant to open for you.