West Virginia Population 2024

1,766,107

Located in the central eastern sector of the United States of America, West Virginia was admitted into the Union in 1863. It is the 41st largest and the 38th most populous state in the country, but what are the population statistics in the present day?

The last nationwide census in the US was undertaken in 2010, so to gauge any recent numbers, it is necessary to take the findings from that survey and project them forward to the present day. The 2010 survey revealed that there were 1,852,994 people living in West Virginia, which represented a modest rise of just 2.5% on the numbers declared at the 2000 census. That total makes West Virginia the 38th most populous state in the country.

West Virginia's population has grown very slowly since the 1950s, at many times losing people. Estimates taken in July 2015 indicate that this may once again be the case.

West Virginia Area and Population Density

The total surface area of West Virginia measures 24,230 square miles (62,755 square kilometers), which means that an average of 77.1 peoples live on every square mile of West Virginia land. That figure converts to 29.8 people for every square kilometer, and it makes West Virginia the 29th most densely populated in the country -- in that respect, it’s a pretty average state.

West Virginia is one of the few US states not to have a city with more than 100,000 residents. In fact, the largest city in the state, Charleston (the state capital) is home to just 49,736 people. The next largest cities are Huntington (48,638) and Parkersburg (30.991).

The majority of West Virginia's counties are designated as rural, with a small majority of the state's population living in a rural area. In 2010, the state had a 51% rural population, compared to 49% urban.

The most populated counties in West Virginia are Kanawha and Berkeley, with respective populations of 183,293 and 114,920.

West Virginia Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age across the population of West Virginia is approximately 41.9 years of age. In terms of the ratio of females to males within the population, 50.6% are females and 49.4% are males.

In terms of preferred religions among the population of West Virginia, 78% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 18% are not affiliated with any particular faith.

West Virginia Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

West Virginia was admitted as a State on June 20, 1863, comprising 48 counties formerly part of Virginia; two additional counties, Berkeley and Jefferson, were added in 1866, bringing the State to essentially its present boundaries. Census coverage included all parts of the present State from 1790 on.

West Virginia Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of West Virginia was:

  • White: 92.08%
  • Black or African American: 3.39%
  • Two or more races: 3.08%
  • Asian: 0.77%
  • Other race: 0.53%
  • Native American: 0.11%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%

West Virginia Population History

In 1790, the population of West Virginia stood at 55,873, a healthy figure for the time. From that point on, West Virginia followed a pattern seen in many other states -- sizable population increases on a decade by decade basis.

Ten years later at the beginning of the 19th century, numbers had increased by over 40% to 78,592. This pattern was to continue throughout the 1800s to the point where the West Virginia population had climbed to 958,800 by 1900. A decade later, the census of 1910 confirmed that numbers had breached one million for the very first time in the state’s history.

Growth continued through the 20th century -- although at a much slower pace. However, there have been a couple of dips in population -- the national censuses of both 1960 and 1990 revealed declines in population from those recorded ten years earlier. There is no clear indication as to why this was the case, but over the years, there has been said to have been a ‘brain drain’ of sorts away from this largely rural state as its more educated and qualified citizens seek opportunities elsewhere. As noted above, there are few cities in the state, and as a result, there are relatively few opportunities for ambitious young West Virginians to build careers.

West Virginia Population Growth

West Virginia has had a few years straight of very tepid population growth. This is because the number of deaths are outnumber births in the state, and there have been just modest gains in the number of people migrating to the area. West Virginia's population is also aging faster than the US, which doesn't bode well.

While West Virginia currently has one of the oldest populations of any state in the country, it's expected its birth rate will grow higher than the country as a whole in 2030. It's likely that the state will continue to age faster than the rest of the country, but at this point, it's hard to say.

West Virginia Population Projections

Current projections predict West Virginia's college-age and young working-age populations will continue to decline through the next few decades, while the older working-age population will see the largest drop. Over the next twenty years, the following counties are predicted to grow between 21% and 63% each: Berkeley, Jefferson, Monongalia and Morgan. Kanawha County, home to the state capital, is expected to lose population through 2030 but will stay resilient and remain around 185,700 through 2030.

By 2030, it's predicted West Virginia's population will have grown very slightly to around 1.9 million.

As one of just ten states with a non-Hispanic white population exceeding 90%, West Virginia is one of the least diverse states in the nation. West Virginia is ranked 50th out of 50 states when it comes to its percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents. The state also has a low percentage of African American inhabitants, ranking 37th out of 50 in the nation.

Only 1.1% of West Virginians were foreign-born, which is one of the lowest percentages in the country. The state also has the lowest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home.

In terms of its Asian American population, the percentage of Asians in relation to West Virginia's total population is the lowest in the country. As far as numbers, the Asian population in the state is ranked 44th out of 50.

West Virginia Population 2024

West Virginia Facts

Population

20K

40K

60K

80K

100K

120K

140K

160K

When comparing data from the 2010 Census to estimates taken by the US Census Bureau in 2015, the information shows that the majority of counties located within the state of West Virginia reflected decreasing populations. However, during this 5-year period, there were a handful of counties that exhibited population growth. The highest growth rate was observed in Monongalia County, at 7.7%. This was followed by 6.93% growth in Berkeley County and 5.33% growth in Jefferson County. Other counties that reflected population growth include Lewis, Marion, Taylor, and Putnam.

As mentioned, the majority of counties saw decreases in population between 2010 and 2015. The highest loss was tracked in McDowell County at 10.15%. Other high losses in the state include Wyoming County's 6.61% loss, Pendleton County's 5.92% decrease, and Logan County's 5.5% population drop.

West Virginia Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White1,658,40592.08%
Black or African American61,1433.39%
Two or more races55,4633.08%
Asian13,8820.77%
Other race9,5620.53%
Native American1,9110.11%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander6830.04%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

West Virginia Population by Race

West Virginia Population Pyramid 2024

West Virginia Median Age

42.6

Total

41.4

Male

44

Female

West Virginia Adults

There are 1,434,554 adults, (358,875 of whom are seniors) in West Virginia.

West Virginia Age Dependency

67.4

Age Dependency Ratio

33.4

Old Age Dependency Ratio

34.1

Child Dependency Ratio

West Virginia Sex Ratio

Female904,32650.21%
Male896,72349.79%

West Virginia Population by Age

West Virginia Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All711,3522.4773.926.1
Married342,1613.0887.812.2
Non Family260,1401.2261.438.6
Female74,9013.5257.942.1
Male34,1503.4865.734.3

3.09

Average Family Size

2.47

Average Household Size

73.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

West Virginia Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

West Virginia Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

West Virginia Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 90.48%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 60.48%.

West Virginia Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$37,723

Average Earnings

$44,741

Average Male

$30,594

Average Female

West Virginia Earnings by Educational Attainment

West Virginia Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

West Virginia Language

97.53% of West Virginia residents speak only English, while 2.47% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1% of the population.

West Virginia Language

West Virginia Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White1,604,257258,98916.14%
Black53,60214,77427.56%
Multiple53,87913,79225.6%
Hispanic28,2225,68320.14%
Other9,2072,40526.12%
Asian13,6632,05715.06%
Native1,70034520.29%
Islander67722332.94%

16.88%

Overall Poverty Rate

15.16%

Male Poverty Rate

18.57%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in West Virginia

The race most likely to be in poverty in West Virginia is Islander, with 32.94% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in West Virginia is Asian, with 15.06% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.91%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.13%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.32%.

West Virginia Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade31.63%
High School16%
Some College11.93%
Bachelors or Greater4.5%

West Virginia Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed44.73%
Male Unemployed31.62%
Female Employed8.69%
Male Employed5.76%

West Virginia Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

West Virginia Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

West Virginia Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

48.7%

Overall Marriage Rate

49.7%

Male Marriage Rate

47.7%

Female Marriage Rate

West Virginia Married by Age and Sex

male

female

West Virginia Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

West Virginia Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

West Virginia Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

118,598

Number of Veterans

110,683

Male Veterans

7,915

Female Veterans

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West Virginia Veterans by War

count

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West Virginia Veterans by Age

count

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West Virginia Veterans by Race

West Virginia Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.7%

Veteran Poverty Rate

36.65%

Veteran Disability Rate

West Virginia Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

53.3%

Labor Force Participation

49.8%

Employment Rate

6.4%

Unemployment Rate

West Virginia Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

West Virginia Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

West Virginia Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

69.04%

Born in West Virginia

98.4%

Native Born

1.6%

Foreign Born

0.75%

Non Citizen

0.85%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

98.4% of West Virginia residents were born in the United States, with 69.04% having been born in West Virginia. 0.75% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

West Virginia Place of Birth

  1. West Virginia Bureau of Business & Economic Research
  2. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  4. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  5. Census QuickFacts
  6. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources