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COUNTY

Ritchie County

West Virginia · 8,034 residents (2025 est.) · 452 sq mi
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The short version

Ritchie County is home to 8,286 people in West Virginia. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. The median age is 46.1, about 7 years above the US median. 84% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $115,900, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 25%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
8,286
−20%since 2000
from 10,343 in 2000
8,034 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
18 / sq mi
−20%since 2009
from 23 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
46.1
+16%since 2000
from 39.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
452 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
8K9K9K10K11K19902000201020202024Ritchie County
20248K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(397)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.7%(390)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(553)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.3%(526)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244%(328)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.2%(843)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.7%(971)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(1,057)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415.9%(1,316)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.7%(1,137)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.3%(521)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3%(247)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$50,582
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,332 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,681
+82%since 2000
from $15,175 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.7%
+20.0 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
21.6%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 19.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.442
−3%since 2010
from 0.453 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing8.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing6.4%
US avg: 0.4%
Finance & insurance6.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Construction2.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$115,900
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$579
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $323 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
84.2%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 81.7% in 2000
15.8% rent
Vacancy rate
18.8%
−9.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.43 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
12.2%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
29.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.3
+7%since 2009
from 2.1 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
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic98.3%(10,168)
Black0.1%(14)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(49)
Asian0.1%(13)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic96.5%(7,992)
Black0.1%(9)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(59)
Asian1.3%(111)
Other1.4%(115)
Diversity Score
9
+47%since 2009
from 6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
24
+30%since 2020
from 19 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
Puerto Rican0.4%(34)
Mexican0.2%(16)
Honduran0.1%(9)
Asian origin
Chinese0.9%(72)
Bangladeshi0.4%(30)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German14.5%(1,203)
Irish13%(1,075)
American12.8%(1,060)
English11.3%(939)
Scottish1.9%(160)
French1.7%(140)
Italian1.7%(137)
Polish1%(84)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(58)
Dutch0.7%(54)
Swedish0.3%(21)
Czech0.2%(17)
+ 11 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.2%(16)
Belgian0.2%(13)
Swiss0.2%(13)
British0.1%(9)
Ukrainian0.1%(8)
Slovak0.1%(7)
Greek0%(3)
Iranian0%(1)
Russian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.4%
+7.3 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
85.3%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 73.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
2.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 2.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.0 min
+32%since 2000
from 24.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 80.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.8%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% 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
6.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.4%
−7.3 ptssince 2011
from 9.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
47.7%
−5.1 ptssince 2011
from 52.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
62.1%
+6.5 ptssince 2020
from 55.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.0%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
21.1%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
1.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.0%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
25.6%
+5.0 ptssince 2012
from 20.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.8%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 15.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
80.7%
+14.7 ptssince 2017
from 66.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
86.7%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 83.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
95.7%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 91.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
96.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2016
from 99.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2016
from 0.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.2%(1,084)
Married50.7%(1,763)
Widowed5.8%(200)
Divorced12.3%(428)
Women 15+
Never married18.3%(634)
Married57.4%(1,991)
Widowed14.8%(512)
Divorced9.6%(334)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.8%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 15.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
50.4%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 46.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
28.1%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 26.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
29.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 30.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 5.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 59.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
51.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 52.6% 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)15%(70)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.4%(151)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era26.4%(123)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.3%(6)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 466 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 Ritchie County to nearby counties

RITCHIE COUNTY VS
Pleasants County
Income$60,932+20%
Home value$151,000+30%
Population7,338−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RITCHIE COUNTY VS
Doddridge County
Income$57,401+13%
Home value$160,800+39%
Population7,634−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RITCHIE COUNTY VS
Wirt County
Income$49,867−1%
Home value$115,800same
Population4,879−39%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RITCHIE COUNTY VS
Gilmer County
Income$47,981−5%
Home value$83,800−28%
Population7,085−12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ritchie County, West Virginia?

Ritchie County, West Virginia has about 8,286 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Ritchie County, West Virginia earns about $50,582 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Ritchie County, West Virginia expensive?

In Ritchie County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $115,900, and the typical rent is about $579 a month.

How educated are people in Ritchie County, West Virginia?

About 14.4% of adults age 25 and over in Ritchie County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 21.6% of people in Ritchie County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Ritchie County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Ritchie County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,947 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 →