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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Kanawha County

West Virginia · 193,063 residents · 902 sq mi
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Kanawha County is home to 193,063 people in West Virginia. At a median age of 42.4, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median home value sits at $98,500. The foreign-born share is 1%. Median rent is $589 a month. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 42.4
US median: 37.2
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
193,063
−4%since 2000
from 200,073 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.4
+5%since 2000
from 40.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
902 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
173K183K192K201K211K19902000201020202024Kanawha County
2024177K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.6%(10,790)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.7%(11,063)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.7%(11,088)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 195.8%(11,261)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.5%(10,662)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3412.4%(23,977)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.3%(23,747)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.4%(29,731)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.7%(28,429)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 748.7%(16,847)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.8%(11,151)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.2%(4,317)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$42,669
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,766 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,439
+25%since 2000
from $20,354 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
23.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
13.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 14.4% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.460
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information11.5%
US avg: 11.5%
Other services7.3%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration5.8%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade5.5%
US avg: 10.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 2.4%
Manufacturing2.3%
US avg: 0.5%
Education & health services1.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$98,500
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,000 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$589
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $444 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
68.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 70.3% in 2000
31.4% rent
Vacancy rate
11.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.31 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
15.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
34.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.0% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.3
−1%since 2009
from 2.3 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.1%(180,258)
Black6.9%(13,870)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(1,172)
Asian0.8%(1,687)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(170,969)
Black7.2%(13,950)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(1,812)
Asian1%(1,982)
Other3.8%(7,250)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.4%(772)
Puerto Rican0.1%(186)
Spaniard0.1%(164)
Cuban0%(89)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Ancestry
German14.8%(28,465)
Irish14.2%(27,301)
English13.9%(26,706)
American13.4%(25,861)
Scotch-Irish3.5%(6,830)
Italian3.3%(6,286)
Scottish2.5%(4,892)
Dutch2.3%(4,425)
French1.9%(3,589)
Polish1.1%(2,049)
Welsh0.9%(1,643)
Swedish0.7%(1,340)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.7%(1,264)
Lebanese0.4%(829)
Russian0.4%(754)
Norwegian0.3%(648)
British0.3%(596)
Hungarian0.3%(590)
Greek0.3%(502)
Lithuanian0.2%(342)
Syrian0.1%(273)
West Indian0.1%(251)
Swiss0.1%(248)
Czech0.1%(224)
Belgian0.1%(205)
Danish0.1%(187)
Slovak0.1%(178)
Croatian0.1%(176)
Portuguese0.1%(168)
Canadian0.1%(144)
Turkish0.1%(138)
Austrian0.1%(132)
Romanian0.1%(114)
Iranian0.1%(101)
Finnish0%(92)
Jamaican0%(79)
Ukrainian0%(71)
Egyptian0%(68)
Bulgarian0%(61)
Nigerian0%(55)
Latvian0%(48)
Armenian0%(43)
Ethiopian0%(38)
Serbian0%(34)
Slovene0%(31)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.4%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.6% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
85.9%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 80.0% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
9.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.0 min
+51%since 2000
from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
81.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 80.6% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
2.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
2.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
10.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
16.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 15.6% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
35.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
52.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
1.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
11.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married33.2%(23,629)
Married50%(35,624)
Widowed3.1%(2,206)
Divorced13.7%(9,757)
Women 15+
Never married26.9%(20,709)
Married44.6%(34,265)
Widowed12.4%(9,513)
Divorced16.1%(12,412)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.9%
−7.9 ptssince 2013
from 12.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 55.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 9.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 24.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 27.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 62.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
48.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 47.9% 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)22.2%(2,120)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.3%(2,127)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.4%(3,568)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(442)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(51)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 9,532 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 Kanawha County to nearby counties

KANAWHA COUNTY VS
Boone County
Income$57,093+34%
Home value$93,100−5%
Population20,251−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KANAWHA COUNTY VS
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Home value$223,300+127%
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KANAWHA COUNTY VS
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Income$42,318−1%
Home value$109,100+11%
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KANAWHA COUNTY VS
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Income$45,778+7%
Home value$122,100+24%
Population13,317−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kanawha County, West Virginia?

Kanawha County, West Virginia has about 193,063 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Kanawha County, West Virginia earns about $42,669 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kanawha County, West Virginia expensive?

In Kanawha County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $98,500, and the typical rent is about $589 a month.

How educated are people in Kanawha County, West Virginia?

About 23.4% of adults age 25 and over in Kanawha County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 13.7% of people in Kanawha County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kanawha County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Kanawha County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 14,556 residents, a change of about -7 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 →