West Virginia

State

Add Comparison

US Senator

Joe Manchin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

42.6

0% 1-year change

2022 Poverty Rate

16.8%

0.471% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$55,217

8.52% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$145,800

13.2% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

688,138

2.84% 1-year decline

About

The 5 largest ethnic groups in West Virginia are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.36%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.06%), White (Hispanic) (0.777%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.751%).

2.51% of the households in West Virginia reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in West Virginia are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in West Virginia are American Public University System (14,167 degrees awarded in 2022), West Virginia University (6,534 degrees), and Marshall University (2,637 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in West Virginia was $145,800, and the homeownership rate was N/A%.

Most people in West Virginia N/A, and the average commute time was 26.7 minutes. The average car ownership in West Virginia was 2 cars per household.

West Virginia borders Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

About the photo: Autumn sunrise scenery from the Bear Rocks area of the Dolly Sods Wilderness near Davis, West Virginia (USA). HDR composite from multiple exposures.

Photo by Nicolas Raymond

United States

Population & Diversity

West Virginia is home to a population of N/A people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of N/A, N/A% of West Virginia residents were born outside of the country (N/A people).

In 2022, there were 27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.63M people) in West Virginia than any other race or ethnicity. There were 60.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 54.8k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in West Virginia are Spanish (17,831 households), Arabic (3,226 households), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (2,289 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

In 2022 there were 1,733,165 residents in West Virginia.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Monongalia, Marion, Preston Counties PUMA, WV (191,687 people), Cabell, Putnam, Mason Counties PUMA, WV (177,026 people), and Wayne, Logan, Mingo, Boone, Wyoming, Lincoln, McDowell Counties PUMA, WV (176,841 people).

The following map shows all of the states in West Virginia colored by the resident population.

Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

99.2%

2021 Citizenship

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in West Virginia compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Virginia

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.63M ± 1.56k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
60.2k ± 1.37k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
54.8k ± 2.16k

1.84%

Hispanic Population

32.9k people

1.84% of the people in West Virginia are hispanic (32.9k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in West Virginia as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,064 ± 1,115 people
Germany
1,923 ± 1,076 people
China
1,815 ± 1,045 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,064 West Virginia residents, followed by Germany with 1,923 and China with 1,815.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
17,831 households (1.05%)
Arabic
3,226 households (0.189%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
2,289 households (0.134%)

2.51% of the households in West Virginia reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 21.7%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2022, the most common non-English language spoken in households in West Virginia was Spanish. 1.05% of the households in West Virginia reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Economy

The economy of West Virginia employs 688k people. The largest industries in West Virginia are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (49,766 people), Elementary & secondary schools (48,340 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (43,712 people), and the highest paying industries are Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($151,305), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($141,402), and Commercial & service industry machinery manufacturing ($105,076).

Males in West Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,743. The income inequality in West Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.449, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

N/A

Women

N/A%

N/A

Men

N/A%

The workforce of West Virginia in 2020 was N/A people, with N/A% woman, and N/A% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in West Virginia.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In N/A there were 688,138 people working in West Virginia. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Monongalia, Marion, Preston Counties PUMA, WV (86,539 people), Berkeley, Jefferson Counties PUMA, WV (74,338 people), and Kanawha County PUMA, WV (70,507 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in West Virginia colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

688k

2022 Value

−2.84%

1 Year decline

± −2.84%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Virginia, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (21,806 people), Cashiers (20,340 people), and Registered nurses (18,581 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Virginia.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

688k

2022 Value

−2.84%

1 Year decline

± −2.84%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Virginia, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (49,766 people), Elementary & secondary schools (48,340 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (43,712 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Virginia, though some of these residents may live in West Virginia and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

N/A

Median earning men ± N/A

N/A

Median earning women ± N/A

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,736), Public Administration ($60,714), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,554).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($46,169), Wholesale Trade ($42,476), and Manufacturing ($40,572).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Y-Axis

0.583%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 690k people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 0.583% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in West Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

2,857
Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,977
Construction
1,916
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$7.57M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.03M
Manufacturing
$2.56M
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 68.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.34%).

The most partisan county was Grant County, WV with 88.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are the senators currently representing the state of West Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

West Virginia is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (68.6%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.34%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 68.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.34%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in West Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for West Virginia

68.6% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in West Virginia

Grant County, WV
88.4% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Wyoming County, WV
85.6% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Mingo County, WV
85.3% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2020 presidential election, the most partisan county in West Virginia was Grant County, WV with 88.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in West Virginia colored by their party leaning.

Senator Elections

US Senators from West Virginia

Joe Manchin

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on November 15, 2010
Elected to the seat to succeed Carte Goodwin, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Robert Byrd.

Shelley Moore Capito

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are the senators currently representing West Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in West Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from West Virginia

West Virginia is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for West Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Most students graduating from Universities in West Virginia are White (25,560 and 70.6%), followed by Black or African American (3,672 and 10.1%), Hispanic or Latino (2,789 and 7.7%), and Unknown (1,924 and 5.32%).

The largest universities in West Virginia by number of degrees awarded are American Public University System (14,167 and NaNk%), West Virginia University (6,534 and NaNk%), and Marshall University (2,637 and NaNk%).

The median tuition costs in West Virginia are $29,485 for private four year colleges, and $7,946 and $15,902 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2022 in West Virginia, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 26.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 134,361 (49.6% men and 50.4% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 134,361 students enrolled in West Virginia, 49.6% men and 50.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 90,530 records, of which 52.9% were women and 47.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
2,085 degrees awarded
General Studies
802 degrees awarded
General Psychology
777 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in West Virginia was General Business Administration & Management with 2,085 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in West Virginia according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

American Public University System
14,167 degrees awarded
West Virginia University
6,534 degrees awarded
Marshall University
2,637 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was American Public University System with 14,167 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 18,335 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Virginia, which is 0.977 times less than the 18,762 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 25,560 degrees mean that there were 6.96 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3,672 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,485) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,713) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, less-than 2-year ($2,092) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, NaNk% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while NaNk% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of West Virginia in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (549k), Some college (279k), and Secondary Education (210k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in West Virginia was $145,800 in 2022, which is 0.517 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $128,800 to $145,800, a 13.2% increase. The homeownership rate in West Virginia is N/A%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in West Virginia have an average commute time of 26.7 minutes, and they N/A. Car ownership in West Virginia is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in West Virginia is $55,217. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in West Virginia was Jefferson County, WV with a value of $93,744, followed by Putnam County, WV and Berkeley County, WV, with respective values of $75,725 and $73,619.

In 2023, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in West Virginia. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.261%.

Housing

Property

$145,800

Median Property Value 2022

±$1,644

N/A

Median Property Taxes

±N/A

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In West Virginia the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in West Virginia compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

N/A%

Homeownership

N/A

66.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West Virginia compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (N/A)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (N/A) in West Virginia was Jefferson County, WV with a value of $93,744, followed by Putnam County, WV and Berkeley County, WV, with respective values of $75,725 and $73,619.

The following map shows all of the counties in West Virginia colored by their Median Household Income (N/A).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,217

Median Household Income

± $577

716k

Number of Households

± 6,602

The following chart displays the households in West Virginia distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.447

2021 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 1. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in West Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

In N/A, N/A% of workers in West Virginia N/A, followed by those who N/A (N/A%) and those who N/A (N/A%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

26.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Virginia have a similar commute time (26.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, N/A% of the workforce in West Virginia have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in West Virginia compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in West Virginia distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Virginia have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in West Virginia. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.261%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Virginia (292k out of 1.74M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Virginia is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21.4% of the children was living in poverty in West Virginia. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.7%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.6% of the population of West Virginia has health coverage, with 42.1% on employee plans, 22.4% on Medicaid, 15.7% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 1.96% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.39%

Uninsured

42.1%

Employer Coverage

22.4%

Medicaid

15.7%

Medicare

11.5%

Non-Group

1.96%

Military or VA

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in West Virginia changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 57.7 in West Virginia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of West Virginia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in West Virginia.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.6% in West Virginia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of West Virginia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in West Virginia.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 8.43% in West Virginia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of West Virginia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in West Virginia.

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