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COUNTY

Wetzel County

West Virginia · 13,734 residents (2025 est.) · 358 sq mi
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The short version

Wetzel County is home to 14,078 people in West Virginia. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 83% of homes are owner-occupied. At a median age of 45.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $107,900. The foreign-born share is 0%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% 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
14,078
−20%since 2000
from 17,693 in 2000
13,734 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
39 / sq mi
−15%since 2009
from 46 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
45.3
+12%since 2000
from 40.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
358 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
14K15K17K18K20K19902000201020202024Wetzel County
202414K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(836)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(862)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(767)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.4%(756)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.4%(762)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411%(1,553)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.5%(1,482)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(1,754)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.8%(2,087)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.7%(1,788)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.5%(1,191)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(240)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,836
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,935 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,337
+86%since 2000
from $16,818 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
36.8%
+18.2 ptssince 2009
from 18.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.0%
−3.8 ptssince 2000
from 19.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.442
+1%since 2010
from 0.439 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Finance & insurance13%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade11.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical7.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing6.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing6.4%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services5.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$107,900
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $59,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$688
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $335 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
83.2%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 78.5% in 2000
16.8% rent
Vacancy rate
16.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.28 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.33 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
12.0%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
30.7%
−14.8 ptssince 2009
from 45.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
1.9
−15%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
33
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic98.6%(17,439)
Black0.1%(15)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(74)
Asian0.3%(57)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic93.7%(13,197)
Black0.2%(26)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(196)
Asian0%(6)
Other4.6%(653)
Diversity Score
15
+200%since 2009
from 5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
−29%since 2020
from 44 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
Mexican0.9%(130)
Puerto Rican0.1%(20)
Guatemalan0.1%(18)
Spaniard0.1%(17)
Asian origin
Ancestry
American17.5%(2,466)
German17.1%(2,410)
Irish12.4%(1,748)
English11.4%(1,607)
Polish4%(567)
Italian2.7%(379)
Scottish2%(286)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(181)
Dutch1.1%(152)
French0.8%(107)
Hungarian0.7%(92)
Swiss0.6%(81)
+ 16 more ancestry groups with data
Czech0.5%(67)
Welsh0.4%(53)
Russian0.3%(43)
Arab0.2%(34)
Swedish0.2%(24)
Austrian0.1%(18)
Lebanese0.1%(10)
Greek0.1%(10)
Danish0.1%(9)
Croatian0.1%(8)
British0%(7)
Syrian0%(5)
Slovak0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.1%
+6.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.1%
+13.5 ptssince 2000
from 77.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.4 min
+37%since 2000
from 21.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.8%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.3%
−7.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
4.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
47.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 48.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
53.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 55.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
18.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 26.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
50.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
0.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.6%
−5.0 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
21.6%
+6.2 ptssince 2012
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.7%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
81.4%
+17.0 ptssince 2017
from 64.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
89.9%
+9.7 ptssince 2020
from 80.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 90.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
99.3%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 99.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 0.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married28%(1,590)
Married52.9%(3,007)
Widowed6.4%(362)
Divorced12.7%(724)
Women 15+
Never married18%(1,065)
Married55.8%(3,309)
Widowed14%(833)
Divorced12.2%(723)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.7%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.5%
+5.0 ptssince 2020
from 52.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 11.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 26.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 28.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.4%
+5.5 ptssince 2020
from 61.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 50.0% 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)12.7%(121)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.2%(221)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era42.4%(403)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.2%(21)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 951 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 Wetzel County to nearby counties

WETZEL COUNTY VS
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Home value$121,300+12%
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WETZEL COUNTY VS
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Home value$149,800+39%
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WETZEL COUNTY VS
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Home value$166,700+54%
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WETZEL COUNTY VS
Doddridge County
Income$57,401+1%
Home value$160,800+49%
Population7,634−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wetzel County, West Virginia?

Wetzel County, West Virginia has about 14,078 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Wetzel County, West Virginia earns about $56,836 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wetzel County, West Virginia expensive?

In Wetzel County, West Virginia, the median home is worth about $107,900, and the typical rent is about $688 a month.

How educated are people in Wetzel County, West Virginia?

About 17.1% of adults age 25 and over in Wetzel County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 16.0% of people in Wetzel County, West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wetzel County, West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Wetzel County, West Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 5,180 residents, a change of about -27 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 →

Wetzel County, West Virginia: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy