West Virginia Population 2026

West Virginia Population

Data after 2023 is projected based on recent change

Year ↓	Population	Growth	Annual Change
2029	1,767,400	-520	-0.03%
2028	1,767,920	-510	-0.03%
2027	1,768,430	-520	-0.03%
2026	1,768,950	-510	-0.03%
2025	1,769,460	-520	-0.03%
2024	1,769,980	-520	-0.03%
2023	1,770,500	-3,620	-0.2%
2022	1,774,120	-11,500	-0.64%
2021	1,785,620	-6,030	-0.34%
2020	1,791,650	-3,610	-0.2%
2019	1,795,260	-10,690	-0.59%
2018	1,805,950	-12,730	-0.7%
2017	1,818,680	-13,760	-0.75%
2016	1,832,440	-10,890	-0.59%
2015	1,843,330	-7,240	-0.39%
2014	1,850,570	-4,200	-0.23%
2013	1,854,770	-2,680	-0.14%
2012	1,857,450	840	0.05%
2011	1,856,610	2,350	0.13%
2010	1,854,260	45,920	0.25%
2000	1,808,340	14,860	0.08%
1990	1,793,480	-156,160	-0.83%
1980	1,949,640	205,400	1.12%
1970	1,744,240	-116,180	-0.64%
1960	1,860,420	-145,130	-0.75%
1950	2,005,550	103,580	0.53%
1940	1,901,970	172,770	0.96%
1930	1,729,200	265,500	1.68%
1920	1,463,700	242,580	1.83%
1910	1,221,120	262,320	2.45%
1900	958,800	196,006	2.31%
1890	762,794	144,337	2.12%
1880	618,457	176,443	3.42%
1870	442,014	65,326	1.61%
1860	376,688	74,375	2.22%
1850	302,313	77,776	3.02%
1840	224,537	47,613	2.41%
1830	176,924	40,116	2.6%
1820	136,808	31,339	2.64%
1810	105,469	26,877	2.99%
1800	78,592	22,719	3.47%
1790	55,873	0	0%

Median Age

Overall: 42.7 years
Female: 44 years
Male: 41.4 years

West Virginia Adults

There are 1,425,050 adults, (368,989 of whom are seniors) in West Virginia.

Sex Ratio

Female: 894,306 (50.1%)
Male: 890,156 (49.9%)

Demographics

The racial composition of West Virginia includes 90.9% White, 3.28% Black or African American, and smaller percentages for Asian, other race, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial populations.

Population by Race

Race	Population ↓	Percentage (of total)
White	1,622,010	90.9%
Two or more races	76,400	4.28%
Black or African American	58,519	3.28%
Asian	13,434	0.75%
Other race	12,055	0.68%
Native American	1,532	0.09%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	513	0.03%

Race	Population ↓	Percentage (of total)
Two or more races	14,896	0.83%
White	12,510	0.7%
Other race	6,995	0.39%
Black or African American	1,220	0.07%
Native American	378	0.02%
Asian	106	0.01%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	20	0%

Race	Population ↓	Percentage (of total)
White	1,609,500	90.2%
Two or more races	61,504	3.45%
Black or African American	57,299	3.21%
Asian	13,328	0.75%
Other race	5,060	0.28%
Native American	1,154	0.06%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	493	0.03%

West Virginia Marital Status

Economics and Income Statistics

West Virginia 's average per capita income is $43,838. Household income levels show a median of $57,917. The poverty rate stands at 16.64%.

Families: A family includes the owner or renter of the home along with everyone related to them - whether through birth, marriage, or adoption. This includes relatives like spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members.

Households: A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit (such as a house or apartment) as their usual place of residence.

Non Families: A nonfamily household is either someone living alone or when the owner/renter lives with people they aren't related to, like roommates.

Name	Median ↓	Mean
Married Families	$88,588	$108,465
Families	$74,981	$94,941
Households	$57,917	$78,799
Non Families	$32,953	$48,512

$43,838

Average Income

$57,917

Median Household Income

16.64%

Poverty Rate

Population by County

West Virginia’s population trends show significant regional challenges, with only a few bright spots. While Berkeley County and Jefferson County in the Eastern Panhandle have grown by 12.9% and 6.2% respectively since 2020, much of the state faces substantial population losses. Kanawha County, the most populous county at 173,000 residents, has declined 4.2%. The most severe losses are in the southern coalfields, with McDowell County declining 11.8% and Mingo County down 9.8%.

Page: Counties in West Virginia

Population by County

2026 Pop.

20K

40K

60K

80K

100K

120K

140K

160K

Population Growth by County

Change (2020)

-0.05

-0.025

0

0.025

0.05

0.075

Population Density by County

Density

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

West Virginia