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STATE · ADMITTED 1863 · 2020 ACS

West Virginia

1,793,716 residents · 55 counties · 439 cities · 546 census tracts
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The short version

West Virginia has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $48,037. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 33%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $123,200.

WV
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,793,716
−1%since 2000
from 1,808,344 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Median age
42.9
+10%since 2000
from 38.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.8M1.8M1.8M1.8M1.9M1990201020202024West Virginia
20241.8M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55%(89,207)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(99,929)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146%(107,246)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(111,726)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(109,191)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.6%(207,306)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412%(215,772)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.7%(228,686)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.4%(257,638)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.4%(222,555)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.9%(106,512)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(37,948)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,037
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,696 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,346
+66%since 2000
from $16,477 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
30.5%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 19.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
17.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 17.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Other services4.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.7%
Manufacturing2.9%
US avg: 0.5%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services1.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 2%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$123,200
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$732
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $401 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
72.6%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.2% in 2000
27.4% rent
Afford Score
2.6
+5%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in West Virginia on RentDataNow
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic89.1%(1,598,834)
Black3.6%(64,749)
Hispanic / Latino1.9%(34,827)
Asian0.8%(14,903)
Other2.6%(46,629)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.6%(11,650)
Puerto Rican0.3%(6,122)
Central American0.2%(2,777)
South American0.1%(1,816)
Spaniard0.1%(1,447)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,253)
Cuban0.1%(1,148)
Peruvian0%(680)
Guatemalan0%(558)
Dominican0%(548)
Colombian0%(504)
Honduran0%(320)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0%(316)
Chilean0%(185)
Argentine0%(146)
Nicaraguan0%(145)
Bolivian0%(66)
Uruguayan0%(33)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.2%(3,350)
Filipino0.2%(3,085)
Chinese0.2%(2,885)
Korean0.1%(1,146)
Vietnamese0.1%(910)
Pakistani0%(711)
Japanese0%(613)
Nepalese0%(358)
Taiwanese0%(190)
Thai0%(142)
Indonesian0%(117)
Sri Lankan0%(100)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(96)
Hmong0%(24)
Burmese0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(225)
Chamorro0%(135)
Ancestry
German15.6%(282,257)
Irish12.9%(232,834)
English11.1%(200,009)
American10.6%(191,212)
Italian4.3%(77,548)
Scottish2%(35,898)
Scotch-Irish1.8%(32,436)
Polish1.6%(28,605)
Dutch1.4%(24,445)
French1.3%(24,329)
Welsh0.9%(15,905)
British0.5%(9,200)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.5%(8,155)
Russian0.4%(6,478)
Swedish0.3%(5,975)
Norwegian0.3%(4,724)
Greek0.3%(4,620)
Slovak0.2%(4,157)
Swiss0.2%(3,188)
Lebanese0.2%(2,824)
Czech0.2%(2,762)
French Canadian0.1%(2,203)
West Indian0.1%(1,946)
Austrian0.1%(1,761)
Croatian0.1%(1,706)
Canadian0.1%(1,618)
Ukrainian0.1%(1,470)
Danish0.1%(1,347)
Belgian0.1%(1,333)
Lithuanian0.1%(1,233)
Finnish0.1%(1,133)
Syrian0.1%(1,022)
Portuguese0.1%(999)
Jamaican0.1%(987)
Serbian0.1%(933)
Romanian0%(834)
Iranian0%(816)
Arab0%(783)
Nigerian0%(525)
Slovene0%(503)
Egyptian0%(328)
Guyanese0%(298)
Ghanaian0%(295)
Moroccan0%(289)
Haitian0%(281)
Turkish0%(273)
Brazilian0%(235)
Ethiopian0%(220)
Armenian0%(211)
Australian0%(152)
Jordanian0%(144)
Iraqi0%(112)
Barbadian0%(99)
Israeli0%(75)
Latvian0%(52)
Kenyan0%(36)
Bulgarian0%(14)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.3%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 14.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
87.6%
+12.4 ptssince 2000
from 75.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.6%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 5.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.1 min
+43%since 2000
from 18.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 81.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
8.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 7.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
53.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 54.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
34.2%
−25.7 ptssince 2009
from 59.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
1.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
6.2%
−79.5 ptssince 2013
from 85.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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 02

Largest cities

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
12.South Charleston13,072
Frequently asked

How many people live in West Virginia?

West Virginia has about 1,793,716 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in West Virginia?

The typical household in West Virginia earns about $48,037 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 $123,200, and the typical rent is about $732 a month.

How educated are people in West Virginia?

About 21.3% 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 17.1% of people in West Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has West Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, West Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 239 residents, a change of about 0 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

Largest cities
CharlestonHuntingtonMorgantownParkersburgWheelingMartinsburgWeirtonFairmont
All 55 counties
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Metro areas
HuntingtonCharlestonMorgantownWheelingWeirtonBeckleyBluefieldClarksburgParkersburgFairmontElkins
Rankings
Highest income cities in West VirginiaFastest growing citiesAll US state rankings

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

How we source and harmonize this data →