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COUNTY

Hancock County

West Virginia · 27,729 residents (2025 est.) · 82.6 sq mi
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The short version

Hancock County is home to 28,431 people in West Virginia. At a median age of 47.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $130,800. 1% of people here were born outside the United States. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
28,431
−13%since 2000
from 32,667 in 2000
27,729 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
344 / sq mi
−6%since 2009
from 366 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
47.0
+13%since 2000
from 41.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
82.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K30K32K34K36K19902000201020202024Hancock County
202428K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.2%(1,180)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(1,734)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.7%(1,325)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.2%(1,489)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.2%(1,478)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.2%(3,192)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.7%(3,052)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(3,786)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.8%(4,194)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7414.8%(4,196)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.6%(1,867)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.3%(938)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$61,466
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,759 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,064
+109%since 2000
from $17,724 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
40.7%
+20.2 ptssince 2009
from 20.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.5%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.466
+2%since 2010
from 0.459 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade12.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance8.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical7%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing1.6%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$130,800
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $67,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$771
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $451 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 77.1% in 2000
25.5% rent
Vacancy rate
9.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.19 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.21 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.5%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 18.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.1
−1%since 2009
from 2.2 in 2009
2009 – 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
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.8%(31,307)
Black2.3%(747)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(243)
Asian0.3%(111)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic92%(26,151)
Black1.8%(501)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(496)
Asian0.5%(141)
Other4%(1,142)
Diversity Score
19
+64%since 2009
from 12 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
25
+23%since 2020
from 20 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.6%(180)
Puerto Rican0.3%(82)
Cuban0.2%(59)
Colombian0.1%(40)
Honduran0.1%(22)
Asian origin
Thai0.3%(90)
Filipino0.1%(22)
Japanese0.1%(20)
Chinese0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(16)
Ancestry
German20.1%(5,720)
Irish16.9%(4,810)
Italian12.3%(3,490)
English11.2%(3,174)
American7.5%(2,119)
Polish4.8%(1,353)
Scotch-Irish2.9%(819)
Croatian1.6%(441)
Slovak1.5%(426)
Scottish1.5%(418)
Hungarian1.4%(411)
French1.2%(348)
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1.2%(335)
Welsh1.2%(334)
Dutch1%(288)
Greek0.8%(219)
Serbian0.7%(209)
Czech0.6%(159)
Belgian0.3%(94)
Slovene0.3%(79)
British0.2%(67)
Arab0.2%(61)
Russian0.2%(60)
Egyptian0.2%(47)
Finnish0.1%(31)
Romanian0.1%(30)
West Indian0.1%(26)
Jamaican0.1%(26)
Nigerian0.1%(20)
Ukrainian0.1%(19)
Swiss0%(10)
Iranian0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.9%
+8.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.9%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.0 min
+71%since 2000
from 14.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.1%
+7.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 9.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 58.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
32.1%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
Female
51.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
Foreign born
0.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.2%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2012
from 16.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.4%
−7.5 ptssince 2013
from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
87.7%
+18.4 ptssince 2017
from 69.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.6%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 87.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
98.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 98.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 0.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.2%(3,404)
Married52%(6,065)
Widowed4%(467)
Divorced14.8%(1,726)
Women 15+
Never married22%(2,752)
Married47.6%(5,959)
Widowed14.9%(1,873)
Divorced15.5%(1,946)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.4%
−7.5 ptssince 2013
from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 52.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
26.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 24.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 24.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 4.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 64.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
49.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% 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)14%(266)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.4%(444)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.7%(658)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.3%(63)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(33)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,897 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

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Head to head

Compare Hancock County to nearby counties

HANCOCK COUNTY VS
Jefferson County
Income$59,055−4%
Home value$127,800−2%
Population63,597+129%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HANCOCK COUNTY VS
Beaver County
Income$71,089+16%
Home value$190,900+46%
Population166,032+499%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HANCOCK COUNTY VS
Brooke County
Income$54,316−12%
Home value$141,500+8%
Population21,142−24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HANCOCK COUNTY VS
Columbiana County
Income$58,180−5%
Home value$151,600+16%
Population99,377+258%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Hancock County, West Virginia?

Hancock County, West Virginia has about 28,431 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Hancock County, West Virginia?

The typical household in Hancock County, West Virginia earns about $61,466 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Hancock County, West Virginia expensive?

In Hancock County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $130,800, and the typical rent is about $771 a month.

How educated are people in Hancock County, West Virginia?

About 19.9% of adults age 25 and over in Hancock County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Hancock County, West Virginia?

About 14.5% of people in Hancock County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Hancock County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Hancock County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 6,802 residents, a change of about -19 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 →