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CITY

Wheeling

West Virginia · 25,680 residents (2025 est.) · 13.8 sq mi
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The short version

With 26,350 people, Wheeling is a city in West Virginia. The median age is 45.4, about 6 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $146,500, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 2%. The median household earns $48,590, about 41% below the national median. Median rent is $794 a month.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $48,590, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Wheeling

What changed most since 1990

  • Population34,881 → 26,350 (−24%)US over the same years: +35%
  • White share95.1% → 88.8% (−6.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$108,003 → $146,500 (+36%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 35 cities and towns in the Wheeling metro

  • 20th in household income$48,590
  • 5th in share with a bachelor's degree34.1%
  • 9th in home value$146,500
  • 9th in diversity score25.8

Its weight in Ohio County

Wheeling's population equals 63% of Ohio County's. Its number of households without a car equals 90% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
26,350
−16%since 2000
from 31,419 in 2000
25,680 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,911 / sq mi
−16%since 2000
from 2,279 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
45.4
+7%since 2000
from 42.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
13.8 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
25K28K31K33K36K19902000201020202024Wheeling
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(1,123)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.3%(1,129)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146%(1,584)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.9%(1,566)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(1,547)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.2%(2,945)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412%(3,174)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(2,746)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.1%(3,724)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7414.6%(3,859)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.5%(1,966)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.7%(987)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,590
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,388 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,509
+104%since 2000
from $17,923 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.0%
+18.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 18.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.515
+9%since 2010
from 0.471 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration4%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing2.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$146,500
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $67,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$794
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $363 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
59.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 62.7% in 2000
40.2% rent
Vacancy rate
13.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.00 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.06 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.8%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.9%
+11.4 ptssince 2009
from 40.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.0
+13%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
56
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.3%(28,988)
Black5%(1,556)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(181)
Asian0.9%(284)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.8%(23,402)
Black4.5%(1,180)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(368)
Asian0.4%(95)
Other5%(1,305)
Diversity Score
26
+34%since 2009
from 19 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.5%(143)
Puerto Rican0.2%(59)
Spaniard0.2%(51)
Venezuelan0.1%(22)
Colombian0.1%(15)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.2%(45)
Filipino0.1%(22)
Chinese0%(12)
Korean0%(6)
Ancestry
German25.6%(6,749)
Irish15.8%(4,175)
English13.3%(3,493)
Italian7.5%(1,966)
Polish6.2%(1,631)
American5.2%(1,381)
Scotch-Irish2.9%(775)
Scottish2.8%(734)
French1.9%(511)
Arab1.8%(469)
Hungarian1.7%(447)
Lebanese1.6%(425)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.2%(319)
Greek1.2%(318)
Slovak0.9%(226)
Swedish0.7%(193)
Russian0.7%(173)
Dutch0.6%(157)
Swiss0.6%(151)
Czech0.5%(142)
Croatian0.5%(131)
British0.4%(109)
Belgian0.4%(105)
Norwegian0.4%(103)
Lithuanian0.4%(101)
Ukrainian0.2%(55)
Canadian0.2%(50)
West Indian0.2%(49)
Haitian0.2%(46)
Australian0.2%(42)
Syrian0.2%(40)
Romanian0.1%(38)
Austrian0.1%(35)
Danish0.1%(27)
Nigerian0.1%(26)
Guyanese0.1%(22)
Portuguese0.1%(18)
Finnish0.1%(16)
Slovene0.1%(15)
Iraqi0%(10)
Iranian0%(8)
Serbian0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.1%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.4%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.1%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 10.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.8 min
+54%since 2000
from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.3%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 75.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.9%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.0%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
15.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2011
from 6.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
55.6%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 57.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 66.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.2%
+5.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
52.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
2.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.4%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.8%
Unchangedsince 2012
from 18.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.7%
−7.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
84.7%
+20.5 ptssince 2017
from 64.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
87.6%
+6.8 ptssince 2020
from 80.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 86.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 97.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 0.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.9%(4,145)
Married44.8%(4,767)
Widowed4.6%(487)
Divorced11.7%(1,248)
Women 15+
Never married30.2%(3,587)
Married39.2%(4,651)
Widowed14.4%(1,707)
Divorced16.2%(1,922)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.7%
−7.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 49.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
28.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 26.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
28.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 28.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 61.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
51.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 51.1% 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)23.8%(329)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.4%(254)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.8%(384)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.8%(122)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(5)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,382 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
Over time

Wheeling, decade by decade

Wheeling population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199034,881$50,529$108,00318.4%11.7
200031,419$49,891$122,59723.2%18.3
201028,486$47,155$130,91024.8%22.1
202027,052$50,798$134,41529.3%32.0
202426,350$48,590$146,50034.1%25.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Wheeling

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Pop 25,990
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Places similar to Wheeling
Head to head

Compare Wheeling to nearby cities

WHEELING VS
Steubenville
Income$48,172−1%
Home value$130,700−11%
Population17,922−30%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHEELING VS
Weirton
Income$59,575+23%
Home value$133,500−9%
Population18,133−29%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHEELING VS
Washington
Income$52,975+9%
Home value$128,200−12%
Population13,377−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHEELING VS
Canonsburg
Income$79,227+63%
Home value$213,200+46%
Population9,529−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wheeling, West Virginia?

Wheeling, West Virginia has about 26,350 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Wheeling, West Virginia?

The typical household in Wheeling, West Virginia earns about $48,590 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wheeling, West Virginia expensive?

In Wheeling, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $146,500, and the typical rent is about $794 a month.

How educated are people in Wheeling, West Virginia?

About 34.1% of adults age 25 and over in Wheeling, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Wheeling, West Virginia?

About 20.5% of people in Wheeling, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wheeling, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Wheeling, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 8,531 residents, a change of about -24 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →