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COUNTY

McDowell County

West Virginia · 16,878 residents (2025 est.) · 533 sq mi
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The short version

McDowell County is home to 17,943 people in West Virginia. 7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 34.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $50,000. Households here earn about 47% less than in West Virginia as a whole. Households take in $31,559 at the median, 62% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
7% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
17,943
−34%since 2000
from 27,329 in 2000
16,878 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
34 / sq mi
−22%since 2009
from 43 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
43.7
+8%since 2000
from 40.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
533 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K21K27K32K37K19902000201020202024McDowell County
202418K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54%(719)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(909)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146%(1,069)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.1%(923)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.9%(873)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.7%(2,274)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.8%(2,476)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(2,305)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.8%(2,474)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7414.2%(2,540)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(968)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(413)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$31,559
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $16,931 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,253
+70%since 2000
from $10,174 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
17.5%
+11.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
34.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2000
from 37.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.462
+2%since 2010
from 0.452 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing11.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing11.6%
US avg: 0.4%
Finance & insurance10.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical10.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Information9.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade5.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade2.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration2.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing0.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.1%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$50,000
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $20,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$643
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $260 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
77.3%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 80.1% in 2000
22.7% rent
Vacancy rate
30.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.44 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.1%
+5.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
32.8%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
1.6
+11%since 2009
from 1.4 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
16
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic86.7%(23,695)
Black11.8%(3,234)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(132)
Asian0.1%(16)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic86.5%(15,515)
Black8.8%(1,577)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(373)
Asian0.1%(9)
Other2.6%(469)
Diversity Score
30
+7%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
54
+10%since 2020
from 49 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
Mexican0.3%(62)
Puerto Rican0.1%(11)
Ancestry
English13.6%(2,448)
German7.6%(1,364)
Irish7.6%(1,361)
American6.1%(1,099)
Italian1.8%(329)
Scottish1.2%(213)
Romanian0.5%(88)
Hungarian0.4%(80)
Danish0.4%(77)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(75)
French0.3%(59)
Greek0.3%(50)
+ 15 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.3%(47)
Russian0.3%(45)
Slovak0.2%(40)
Norwegian0.2%(38)
Dutch0.2%(29)
Swiss0.1%(25)
Armenian0.1%(9)
Jamaican0.1%(9)
British0%(7)
Welsh0%(6)
Swedish0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
6.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
75.5%
+25.5 ptssince 2000
from 50.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
2.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 2.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
36.0 min
+44%since 2000
from 25.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 83.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
4.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
10.7%
−6.0 ptssince 2009
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 9.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
27.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 30.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
42.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 40.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
23.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
30.9%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
53.3%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
46.7%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
1.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
29.8%
−2.0 ptssince 2012
from 31.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.8%
−10.7 ptssince 2013
from 19.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
85.5%
+26.1 ptssince 2017
from 59.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
86.6%
+6.6 ptssince 2020
from 80.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
93.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
97.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 98.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 1.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.9%(3,342)
Married39.6%(3,238)
Widowed5.4%(441)
Divorced14.1%(1,154)
Women 15+
Never married25.3%(1,788)
Married41.1%(2,906)
Widowed22.6%(1,598)
Divorced11%(779)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.8%
−10.7 ptssince 2013
from 19.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
26.3%
−8.6 ptssince 2020
from 34.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
5.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 4.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
31.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 31.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
51.6%
+5.3 ptssince 2020
from 46.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
30.7%
−9.4 ptssince 2020
from 40.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
74.1%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 71.0% 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)8.8%(61)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.2%(161)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era44.5%(309)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.6%(11)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(7)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 694 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
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Head to head

Compare McDowell County to nearby counties

MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
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MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
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MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
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MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in McDowell County, West Virginia?

McDowell County, West Virginia has about 17,943 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in McDowell County, West Virginia earns about $31,559 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is McDowell County, West Virginia expensive?

In McDowell County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $50,000, and the typical rent is about $643 a month.

How educated are people in McDowell County, West Virginia?

About 6.8% of adults age 25 and over in McDowell County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 34.2% of people in McDowell County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has McDowell County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, McDowell County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 17,290 residents, a change of about -49 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 →