CensusEasy
STATE · ADMITTED 1863 · 1990 CENSUS

West Virginia

1,793,477 residents · 55 counties · 439 cities · 24,038 sq mi · 546 census tracts
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The short version

With 1,793,477 people, West Virginia is a state. Median home value sits at $47,600. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate is 19.7%, above the 13.2% national rate. The median household earns $20,795, about 31% below the national median.

WV
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,793,477
−1%vs 2000
vs 1,808,344 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Median age
35.4
−9%vs 2000
vs 38.9 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
24,038 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.8M1.8M1.8M1.8M1.9M19902000201020202024West Virginia
20241.8M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55.9%(106,545)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.7%(120,332)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.5%(134,284)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.9%(142,039)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.6%(118,511)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3414.7%(263,047)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.1%(270,905)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.7%(191,995)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.9%(177,015)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.7%(156,926)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.9%(87,748)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.3%(24,130)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$20,795
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $29,696 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$10,520
−36%vs 2000
vs $16,477 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
19.7%
+1.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$47,600
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $66,000 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$303
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $401 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
74.1%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 75.2% in 2000
25.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94.6%(1,709,966)
Black3.1%(56,825)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(12,279)
Asian0.5%(9,356)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic96.2%(1,726,023)
Black3.1%(55,398)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(7,892)
Asian0.4%(7,505)
Other0.3%(4,551)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.8%(13,902)
Puerto Rican0.3%(5,654)
Central American0.3%(5,532)
South American0.2%(3,808)
Salvadoran0.1%(2,207)
Guatemalan0.1%(1,540)
Cuban0.1%(1,444)
Spaniard0.1%(1,365)
Peruvian0.1%(1,239)
Dominican0.1%(1,100)
Colombian0.1%(912)
Honduran0%(738)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(552)
Panamanian0%(446)
Venezuelan0%(387)
Argentine0%(301)
Chilean0%(197)
Nicaraguan0%(135)
Bolivian0%(109)
Uruguayan0%(23)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.2%(3,479)
Filipino0.2%(2,926)
Chinese0.1%(2,270)
Vietnamese0.1%(1,019)
Korean0%(812)
Japanese0%(630)
Pakistani0%(406)
Thai0%(312)
Burmese0%(287)
Sri Lankan0%(282)
Laotian0%(133)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(84)
Taiwanese0%(77)
Cambodian0%(37)
Kazakh0%(9)
Uzbek0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(445)
Guamanian0%(236)
Chamorro0%(46)
Ancestry
English15.7%(278,511)
German14.7%(260,636)
Irish12.3%(218,888)
American9.5%(169,132)
Italian4.1%(73,182)
Scottish2.2%(38,382)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(27,883)
Polish1.6%(27,712)
French1.1%(19,577)
Dutch0.8%(15,080)
Welsh0.7%(12,079)
Hungarian0.4%(7,577)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.4%(6,358)
Swedish0.4%(6,263)
Norwegian0.3%(5,198)
British0.3%(5,195)
Greek0.3%(4,688)
Russian0.2%(4,169)
Slovak0.2%(3,251)
Czech0.2%(3,121)
Lebanese0.2%(3,108)
Swiss0.2%(2,999)
West Indian0.1%(2,562)
Croatian0.1%(2,522)
French Canadian0.1%(2,041)
Austrian0.1%(1,917)
Ukrainian0.1%(1,757)
Lithuanian0.1%(1,540)
Jamaican0.1%(1,323)
Nigerian0.1%(1,174)
Finnish0.1%(1,132)
Danish0.1%(1,032)
Belgian0.1%(1,029)
Portuguese0.1%(997)
Syrian0.1%(910)
Egyptian0%(860)
Canadian0%(849)
Romanian0%(734)
Slovene0%(722)
Serbian0%(647)
Haitian0%(604)
Iranian0%(448)
Ethiopian0%(443)
Brazilian0%(438)
Guyanese0%(371)
Turkish0%(329)
Ghanaian0%(180)
Jordanian0%(158)
Australian0%(152)
Armenian0%(144)
Latvian0%(137)
Bulgarian0%(117)
Israeli0%(101)
Iraqi0%(89)
Kenyan0%(86)
Moroccan0%(74)
Barbadian0%(54)
Somali0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.3%
−2.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 14.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
66.0%
−9.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 75.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.8%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 5.9% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.5 min
+13%vs 2000
vs 18.2 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married33%(243,745)
Married50.5%(373,451)
Widowed3.9%(28,900)
Divorced12.6%(93,118)
Women 15+
Never married25.2%(188,556)
Married49.1%(367,743)
Widowed11.9%(88,780)
Divorced13.9%(103,917)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.0%
−8.3 ptssince 2013
from 14.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 11.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
24.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 23.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 26.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 63.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
47.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% 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)22.3%(23,412)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(23,672)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36%(37,826)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(4,126)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(635)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 104,941 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
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in West Virginia →
1.Charleston46,117
2.Huntington44,815
3.Morgantown30,293
4.Parkersburg28,593
5.Wheeling25,680
6.Martinsburg19,211
7.Weirton18,133
8.Fairmont18,035
9.Beckley16,373
10.Clarksburg15,562
11.Teays Valley14,151
13.Cheat Lake10,902
14.Vienna10,321
15.St. Albans10,210
16.Cross Lanes9,671
17.Bridgeport9,427
18.Charles Town9,329
19.Bluefield9,158
20.Moundsville7,659
21.Oak Hill7,629
22.Hurricane7,367
23.Dunbar7,050
24.Pea Ridge6,988
26.Elkins6,622
27.Nitro6,270
28.Brookhaven6,212
29.Princeton5,578
30.Buckhannon5,054
32.Keyser4,777
33.Grafton4,529
35.Westover4,086
36.Pinch4,037
38.Ravenswood3,790
39.Weston3,736
40.Lewisburg3,721
41.Sissonville3,593
42.Shannondale3,465
44.Welch3,389
45.Shady Spring3,381
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (7)
1.Huntington365,965
2.Charleston200,170
3.Morgantown141,995
4.Wheeling134,089
5.Weirton112,468
6.Beckley109,940
7.Parkersburg87,264
Micropolitan areas (4)
1.Bluefield96,138
2.Clarksburg88,142
3.Fairmont55,584
4.Elkins26,882

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in West Virginia?

West Virginia has about 1,793,477 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in West Virginia?

The typical household in West Virginia earns about $20,795 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is West Virginia expensive?

In West Virginia, the median home is worth about $47,600, and the typical rent is about $303 a month.

How educated are people in West Virginia?

About 12.3% of adults age 25 and over in West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in West Virginia?

About 19.7% of people in West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →