June 2026 residential building permits data releasedExplore

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.

1,769,979
Population
$60,915
Median HH income
24.7%
Bachelor's+
$170,000
Median home value

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.

StatisticWest VirginiaU.S.
Median household income$60,915$83,310
Median family income$79,190$102,685
Mean wage (workers)$53,174$66,223
Median personal income (15+)$27,818$35,074
Poverty rate16.1%12.1%
Unemployment rate4.4%4.6%
Labor force participation (16+)55.1%64.0%
Mean hours worked / week38.537.9
Mean Interest, dividends, and net rental income$1,658$2,830
Mean Selected monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income19.0%24.1%
Mean All other income$813$705
Mean Public assistance income$67$45
Mean Total person's earnings$30,873$44,138
Mean Income-to-poverty ratio277.4318.7
Mean Retirement income$3,456$3,754
Mean Self-employment income$1,355$2,518
Mean Supplementary Security Income$377$282
Mean Social Security income$4,832$3,799

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. Explore West Virginia's 12 PUMAs on the map below — recolor it by any measure, and click an area to open its full profile.

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.

New — housing construction: Building permits in West Virginia — monthly residential permits for every county, metro area, and city, single-family vs. multifamily, from the Census Building Permits Survey.

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