McDowell County, WV

County

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2022 Population

18,911

2.19% 1-year decline

US Senator

Joe Manchin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

45.3

1.74% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

33.3%

15% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$28,235

6.28% 1-year decline

2022 Median Property Value

$47,500

8.7% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, McDowell County, WV had a population of 18.9k people with a median age of 45.3 and a median household income of $28,235. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of McDowell County, WV declined from 19,334 to 18,911, a −2.19% decrease and its median household income declined from $30,127 to $28,235, a −6.28% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in McDowell County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (80.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (14.1%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.89%), White (Hispanic) (1.37%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.571%).

None of the households in McDowell County, WV 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.

98.9% of the residents in McDowell County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2022, the median property value in McDowell County, WV was $47,500, and the homeownership rate was 77.1%.

Most people in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.1 minutes. The average car ownership in McDowell County, WV was 2 cars per household.

McDowell County, WV borders Buchanan County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, Mercer County, WV, Mingo County, WV, and Wyoming County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

McDowell County, WV is home to a population of 18.9k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2022, 1.48% of McDowell County, WV residents were born outside of the country (280 people).

In 2022, there were 5.72 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.2k people) in McDowell County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.67k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 546 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.9%

2022 Citizenship

99.3%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 98.9% of McDowell County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in McDowell County, WV was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in McDowell County, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in McDowell County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.2k ± 18
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.67k ± 321
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
546 ± 244

2.04%

Hispanic Population

386 people

2.04% of the people in McDowell County, WV are hispanic (386 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in McDowell County, WV as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.48%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

280 people

1.02%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

198 people

As of 2022, 1.48% of McDowell County, WV residents (280 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in McDowell County, WV was 1.02%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in McDowell County, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
437 ± 182
Gulf War (1990s)
99 ± 78
Gulf War (2001-)
77 ± 48

McDowell County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.41 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of McDowell County, WV employs 3.31k people. The largest industries in McDowell County, WV are Health Care & Social Assistance (819 people), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (371 people), and Public Administration (360 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($72,188), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($72,188), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,333).

Employment

Occupations

3.31k

2022 Value

± 456

−13%

1 Year decline

± 21.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in McDowell County, WV declined at a rate of −13%, from 3.8k employees to 3.31k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in McDowell County, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (435 people), Management Occupations (306 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (282 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of McDowell County, WV.

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

3.31k

2022 Value

± 456

−13%

1 Year decline

± 21.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in McDowell County, WV declined at a rate of −13%, from 3.8k employees to 3.31k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in McDowell County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (819 people), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (371 people), and Public Administration (360 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of McDowell County, WV, though some of these residents may live in McDowell County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$35,495

Median earning men ± $6,155

$27,701

Median earning women ± $3,655

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,250), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($77,604), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($45,461).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($50,871), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,000), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($41,250).

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

20
Other Services (except Public Administration)
16
Retail Trade
14
Health Care and Social Assistance

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.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in McDowell County, WV went to Donald J. Trump with 78.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.444%).

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 (78.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.4%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.444%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in McDowell County, WV for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from West Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for 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

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.661% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.559% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population 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 McDowell County, WV was $47,500 in 2022, which is 0.168 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $43,700 to $47,500, a 8.7% increase. The homeownership rate in McDowell County, WV is 77.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in McDowell County, WV have an average commute time of 33.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in McDowell County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in McDowell County, WV is $28,235. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in McDowell County, WV was Census Tract 9542 with a value of $35,779, followed by Census Tract 9536 and Census Tract 9545.01, with respective values of $35,121 and $33,889.

Property

$47,500

Median Property Value 2022

±$9,861

$5,046

Median Property Taxes

±$436

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 McDowell County, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in McDowell County, WV compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

77.1%

Homeownership

2022

62.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 77.1% of the housing units in McDowell County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 80.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in McDowell County, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9542
Census Tract 9536
Census Tract 9545.01

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in McDowell County, WV was Census Tract 9542 with a value of $35,779, followed by Census Tract 9536 and Census Tract 9545.01, with respective values of $35,121 and $33,889.

The following map shows all of the tracts in McDowell County, WV colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$28,235

Median Household Income

± $3,566

6.55k

Number of Households

± 582

In 2022, the median household income of the 6.55k households in McDowell County, WV declined from $28,235 from the previous year's value of $30,127.

The following chart displays the households in McDowell County, WV 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for McDowell County, WV is from West Virginia.

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 0.478. 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

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (80%)
Carpooled (12%)
Worked At Home (4.66%)

In 2022, 80% of workers in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12%) and those who worked at home (4.66%).

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

33.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in McDowell County, WV have a longer commute time (33.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 5.29% of the workforce in McDowell County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in McDowell County, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

33.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in McDowell County, WV (5.65k out of 17k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in McDowell County, WV is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

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.

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

92.8% of the population of McDowell County, WV has health coverage, with 16.9% on employee plans, 44.8% on Medicaid, 22.6% on Medicare, 7.11% on non-group plans, and 1.29% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see 4229 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.02% decrease from the previous year (4406 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4591 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3060 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,229 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McDowell County, WV

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see an average of 4,229 patients per year. This represents a 4.02% decrease from the previous year (4,406 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in McDowell County, WV in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 14% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.22%

Uninsured

16.9%

Employer Coverage

44.8%

Medicaid

22.6%

Medicare

7.11%

Non-Group

1.29%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in McDowell County, WV grew by 35% from 5.35% to 7.22%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in McDowell County, WV 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 68.6 in McDowell County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDowell County, WV.

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 47% in McDowell County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDowell County, WV.