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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Preston County

West Virginia · 33,520 residents · 649 sq mi
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The short version

Preston County is a county of 33,520 people in West Virginia. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 28% national rate. 82% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $87,700. At a median age of 42.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 1%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 42.0
US median: 37.2
Less educated
12% 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
33,520
+14%since 2000
from 29,334 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.0
+7%since 2000
from 39.1 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
649 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
29K30K32K33K35K19902000201020202024Preston County
202434K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.4%(1,798)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.2%(1,733)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.6%(1,864)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 195.6%(1,869)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.2%(1,754)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.8%(4,624)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.8%(4,622)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.3%(5,121)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.6%(4,878)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 749.1%(3,044)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.9%(1,635)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(578)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$40,753
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,927 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,329
+42%since 2000
from $13,596 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
17.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
13.9%
−4.5 ptssince 2000
from 18.3% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.404
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information13.4%
US avg: 11.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing10.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Wholesale trade10%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade9.7%
US avg: 10.9%
Manufacturing8.8%
US avg: 0.5%
Finance & insurance5.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services1.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 2.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$87,700
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $56,700 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$457
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $336 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
81.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
18.3% rent
Vacancy rate
13.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.40 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
15.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
26.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 29.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.2
−3%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic98.3%(28,845)
Black0.3%(82)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(168)
Asian0.1%(43)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic97.1%(32,557)
Black1.1%(360)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(229)
Asian0.1%(48)
Other0.9%(317)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.5%(166)
Puerto Rican0.2%(52)
Spaniard0.1%(39)
Cuban0.1%(28)
Nicaraguan0.1%(20)
Colombian0%(12)
Ancestry
German29.4%(9,691)
Irish14.3%(4,730)
American9.5%(3,127)
English8.9%(2,939)
Italian4.5%(1,487)
Dutch4%(1,321)
Polish2.7%(887)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(800)
French1.7%(570)
Scottish1.5%(498)
Welsh1.2%(381)
Hungarian0.5%(164)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
British0.2%(78)
Slovak0.2%(64)
Arab0.1%(43)
Danish0.1%(38)
Norwegian0.1%(32)
Russian0.1%(31)
Swiss0.1%(31)
Lithuanian0.1%(28)
Czech0.1%(26)
Greek0.1%(26)
Swedish0.1%(25)
Lebanese0.1%(19)
Ukrainian0.1%(19)
Belgian0.1%(18)
Austrian0.1%(17)
Slovene0%(11)
Finnish0%(9)
Syrian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
11.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
82.5%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 74.0% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
3.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.6% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.3 min
+45%since 2000
from 21.6 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
78.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 77.0% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
15.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
2.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
22.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.2%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
48.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
1.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
12.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married35.3%(5,520)
Married49.9%(7,800)
Widowed3.7%(578)
Divorced11%(1,720)
Women 15+
Never married21.9%(2,966)
Married54.4%(7,361)
Widowed13.1%(1,773)
Divorced10.6%(1,440)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.9%
−7.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.8%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 57.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
24.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 22.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.9%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 67.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 43.4% 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)23.9%(459)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.8%(630)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.5%(585)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(74)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(11)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,921 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 Preston County to nearby counties

PRESTON COUNTY VS
Garrett County
Income$67,688+66%
Home value$235,300+168%
Population28,370−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRESTON COUNTY VS
Taylor County
Income$57,795+42%
Home value$148,800+70%
Population16,287−52%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRESTON COUNTY VS
Monongalia County
Income$65,346+60%
Home value$267,700+205%
Population107,991+218%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRESTON COUNTY VS
Tucker County
Income$53,358+31%
Home value$154,800+77%
Population6,540−81%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Preston County, West Virginia?

Preston County, West Virginia has about 33,520 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Preston County, West Virginia earns about $40,753 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Preston County, West Virginia expensive?

In Preston County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $87,700, and the typical rent is about $457 a month.

How educated are people in Preston County, West Virginia?

About 11.6% of adults age 25 and over in Preston County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 13.9% of people in Preston County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Preston County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Preston County, West Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,483 residents, a change of about 15 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 →