2024 ACS PUMS
West Virginia Census Data
A demographic, economic, and housing profile of West Virginia, built from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample. West Virginia is home to 1,769,979 people across 12 PUMAs, with a median household income of $60,915 and a median age of 42.2.
West Virginia at a glance, vs. the U.S.
Every figure below is a weighted estimate from the 2024 ACS PUMS. The U.S. column is the population-weighted national average for comparison.
| Economic | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,915 | $83,310 |
| Mean wage (workers) | $53,174 | $66,223 |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 12.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Education | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.7% | 36.9% |
| Health | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Uninsured | 6.4% | 8.4% |
| Private insurance | 63.3% | 66.7% |
| Public insurance | 46.3% | 37.0% |
| With a disability | 20.4% | 14.1% |
| Commute | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Mean commute time | 27 min | 27 min |
| Drove to work | 86.5% | 78.5% |
| Public transit to work | 0.6% | 3.7% |
| Worked from home | 8.9% | 13.3% |
| Housing | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $170,000 | $390,221 |
| Median gross rent | $889 | $1,507 |
| Rent as % of income | 28.0% | 30.6% |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 65.1% |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 2.9 |
| Median rooms | 6 | 5.6 |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1976 |
| Vehicles per household | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| No vehicle | 8.2% | 8.5% |
| Single-family detached | 72.8% | 62.1% |
| Broadband internet | 92.4% | 95.0% |
| Demographics | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,769,979 | 340,110,990 |
| Average age | 42.2 | 39.8 |
| Married (15+) | 49.7% | 47.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.3% | 20.0% |
| Black | 3.2% | 11.7% |
| Asian | 0.7% | 6.2% |
West Virginia's 12 PUMAs
A PUMA (Public Use Microdata Area) is a Census geography of roughly 100,000+ people — the finest level at which PUMS microdata is released. Below are every PUMA in West Virginia, ranked by population.
| PUMA | Population | Median HH income | Bachelor's+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia, Marion, Preston Counties PUMA | 198,447 | $64,976 | |
| Berkeley, Jefferson Counties PUMA | 197,465 | $85,890 | |
| Kanawha County PUMA | 174,072 | $64,976 | |
| Cabell, Putnam, Mason Counties PUMA | 173,329 | $65,484 | |
| Wayne, Logan, Mingo, Boone, Wyoming, Lincoln, McDowell Counties PUMA | 166,964 | $48,732 | |
| Harrison, Randolph, Upshur, Lewis, Taylor, Barbour Counties PUMA | 164,210 | $57,159 | |
| Wood, Wetzel, Ritchie, Tyler, Doddridge, Pleasants, Wirt Counties PUMA | 132,682 | $57,869 | |
| Mercer, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas Counties PUMA | 128,143 | $55,636 | |
| Ohio, Marshall, Hancock, Brooke Counties PUMA | 119,306 | $52,996 | |
| Raleigh, Fayette Counties PUMA | 110,340 | $50,762 | |
| Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Hardy, Grant, Tucker, Pendleton Counties PUMA | 106,864 | $65,991 | |
| Jackson, Nicholas, Roane, Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, Calhoun Counties PUMA | 98,157 | $54,519 |
West Virginia Census data — FAQ
What is the population of West Virginia?+
According to the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS), West Virginia has a population of 1,769,979 people, represented across 12 PUMAs (Public Use Microdata Areas).
What is the median household income in West Virginia?+
The median household income in West Virginia is $60,915 based on the 2024 ACS PUMS, compared with a U.S. figure of $83,310.
How educated is West Virginia?+
24.7% of West Virginia residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, versus 36.9% nationally, per the 2024 ACS.
Where does this West Virginia data come from?+
These figures are derived from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) — a de-identified, statistically weighted sample of individual records. PUMSdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.