CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Fairmont

West Virginia · 20,210 residents · 8.60 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Fairmont is a city of 20,210 people in West Virginia. At a median age of 38.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median home value sits at $41,700. 21.9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Median household income is $18,370, under the $30,130 national median. Renters pay $299 a month at the median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 38.3

US median: 33.0

Less educated

17% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 11%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

20,210

+6%vs 2000

vs 19,097 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

38.3

−3%vs 2000

vs 39.3 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

8.60 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202418K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 54.7%(959)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 95.1%(1,034)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 145.9%(1,202)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.1%(1,635)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 249%(1,810)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3412.3%(2,487)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4412.7%(2,576)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.4%(1,892)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410.3%(2,085)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7412.4%(2,516)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 847.4%(1,492)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2.6%(522)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$18,370

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $25,628 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,782

−33%vs 2000

vs $16,062 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

21.9%

+1.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 20.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$41,700

−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $61,600 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$299

Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $395 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

64.9%

+1.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 63.4% in 2000

35.1% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic89.5%(17,090)

Black7.2%(1,381)

Hispanic / Latino0.8%(157)

Asian0.6%(116)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic92.7%(18,740)

Black6.6%(1,338)

Hispanic / Latino0.5%(98)

Asian0.3%(69)

Other0.3%(63)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Central American0.7%(128)

Cuban0.7%(123)

Mexican0.5%(90)

Costa Rican0.3%(62)

Nicaraguan0.3%(59)

Spaniard0.2%(40)

South American0.1%(22)

Puerto Rican0.1%(17)

Peruvian0.1%(16)

Salvadoran0%(7)

Ecuadorian0%(6)

Asian origin

Chinese0.9%(168)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0%(1)

Ancestry

German15.8%(2,883)

Irish15.5%(2,820)

English12.2%(2,223)

Italian10.1%(1,841)

American5.9%(1,077)

Scottish2.3%(415)

Polish2.2%(397)

French1.6%(288)

Dutch1.1%(203)

Scotch-Irish1.1%(193)

Greek0.8%(146)

Subsaharan African0.6%(104)

+ 25 more ancestry groups with data

Swedish0.5%(97)

Welsh0.5%(91)

Arab0.5%(87)

French Canadian0.4%(79)

British0.4%(76)

West Indian0.4%(70)

Hungarian0.4%(66)

Russian0.3%(61)

Norwegian0.3%(59)

Czech0.3%(57)

Haitian0.2%(43)

Lebanese0.2%(32)

Ukrainian0.2%(31)

Austrian0.1%(19)

Jamaican0.1%(18)

Romanian0.1%(17)

Nigerian0.1%(17)

Croatian0.1%(13)

Portuguese0.1%(13)

Finnish0.1%(11)

Serbian0.1%(10)

Belgian0%(7)

Danish0%(7)

Slovene0%(6)

Brazilian0%(5)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

16.6%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 20.0% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

74.3%

−5.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 80.0% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

6.0%

−2.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

16.4 min

+23%vs 2000

vs 13.3 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married44.5%(3,440)

Married43%(3,324)

Widowed2.2%(170)

Divorced10.3%(795)

Women 15+

Never married35.1%(2,722)

Married41.7%(3,235)

Widowed10.4%(808)

Divorced12.8%(992)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

7.9%

−8.0 ptssince 2013

from 15.9% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

56.3%

+4.4 ptssince 2020

from 51.9% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

9.2%

−2.7 ptssince 2020

from 11.9% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

18.6%

−1.0 ptssince 2020

from 19.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

25.5%

−2.1 ptssince 2020

from 27.6% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.3%

−0.9 ptssince 2020

from 4.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

64.5%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 63.5% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

41.2%

−2.4 ptssince 2020

from 43.6% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)31.9%(346)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)25.6%(278)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era30%(326)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War6%(65)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,085 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Drill deeper