Kanawha County, WV

County

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2022 Population

179,895

1.13% 1-year decline

US Senator

Joe Manchin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

43.6

0.23% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

16.4%

0.0499% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$55,226

9.2% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$131,200

11% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

76,835

1.39% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Kanawha County, WV had a population of 180k people with a median age of 43.6 and a median household income of $55,226. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Kanawha County, WV declined from 181,953 to 179,895, a −1.13% decrease and its median household income grew from $50,574 to $55,226, a 9.2% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Kanawha County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (86.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (6.59%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.99%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.17%), and White (Hispanic) (0.563%).

None of the households in Kanawha 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.

99.3% of the residents in Kanawha County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Kanawha County, WV are University of Charleston (1,065 degrees awarded in 2022), West Virginia State University (400 degrees), and BridgeValley Community & Technical College (360 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Kanawha County, WV was $131,200, and the homeownership rate was 69.7%.

Most people in Kanawha County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22 minutes. The average car ownership in Kanawha County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Kanawha County, WV borders Boone County, WV, Clay County, WV, Fayette County, WV, Jackson County, WV, Lincoln County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, Putnam County, WV, Raleigh County, WV, and Roane County, WV.

United States West Virginia Charleston, WV

Population & Diversity

Kanawha County, WV is home to a population of 180k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 1.85% of Kanawha County, WV residents were born outside of the country (3.33k people).

In 2022, there were 13.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (156k people) in Kanawha County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 11.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 7.18k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

99.3%

2021 Citizenship

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

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kanawha County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
156k ± 622
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
11.9k ± 679
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
7.18k ± 853

1.17%

Hispanic Population

2.1k people

1.17% of the people in Kanawha County, WV are hispanic (2.1k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,064 ± 1,115 people
Germany
1,923 ± 1,076 people
China
1,815 ± 1,045 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,064 West Virginia residents, followed by Germany with 1,923 and China with 1,815.

Foreign-Born Population

1.85%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

3.33k people

1.89%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

3.44k people

As of 2022, 1.85% of Kanawha County, WV residents (3.33k 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 Kanawha County, WV was 1.89%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,740 ± 402
Gulf War (2001-)
2,048 ± 485
Gulf War (1990s)
1,332 ± 296

Kanawha County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.83 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Kanawha County, WV employs 76.8k people. The largest industries in Kanawha County, WV are Health Care & Social Assistance (15,059 people), Retail Trade (9,307 people), and Public Administration (6,601 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($66,719), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,982), and Utilities ($58,438).

Males in West Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,743. The income inequality in West Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.449, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

76.8k

2022 Value

± 2,346

−1.39%

1 Year decline

± 4.3%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Kanawha County, WV declined at a rate of −1.39%, from 77.9k employees to 76.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kanawha County, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,067 people), Sales & Related Occupations (7,859 people), and Management Occupations (6,151 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kanawha 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

76.8k

2022 Value

± 2,346

−1.39%

1 Year decline

± 4.3%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Kanawha County, WV declined at a rate of −1.39%, from 77.9k employees to 76.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kanawha County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (15,059 people), Retail Trade (9,307 people), and Public Administration (6,601 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kanawha County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Kanawha County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,158

Median earning men ± $1,499

$34,635

Median earning women ± $1,160

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,031), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,794), and Information ($57,763).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Information ($60,104), Construction ($53,810), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,808).

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

375
Other Services (except Public Administration)
259
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
221
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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.16M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$354k
Finance and Insurance
$350k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Kanawha County, WV went to Donald J. Trump with 56.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (41.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.49%).

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 (56.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (41.8%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.49%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kanawha 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

In 2022, universities in Kanawha County, WV awarded 2,144 degrees. The student population of Kanawha County, WV in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 4,240 male students and 4,798 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Kanawha County, WV are White (1,434 and 68.8%), followed by Unknown (305 and 14.6%), Black or African American (200 and 9.6%), and Hispanic or Latino (57 and 2.74%).

The largest universities in Kanawha County, WV by number of degrees awarded are University of Charleston (1,065 and 49.7%), West Virginia State University (400 and 18.7%), and BridgeValley Community & Technical College (360 and 16.8%).

The most popular majors in Kanawha County, WV are Organizational Leadership (348 and 16.2%), Registered Nursing (285 and 13.3%), and Other Business, Management, Marketing, & Related Support Services (203 and 9.47%).

The median tuition costs in Kanawha County, WV are $21,000 for private four year colleges, and $8,856 and $14,544 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Kanawha County, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 85.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 9,038 (46.9% men and 53.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 9,038 students enrolled in Kanawha County, WV, 46.9% men and 53.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,836 records, of which 55.8% were women and 44.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
95 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
62 degrees awarded
Organizational Leadership
341 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kanawha County, WV was General Business Administration & Management with 95 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Kanawha County, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Charleston
1,065 degrees awarded
West Virginia State University
400 degrees awarded
BridgeValley Community & Technical College
360 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Charleston with 1,065 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,068 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kanawha County, WV, which is 0.993 times less than the 1,076 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,434 degrees mean that there were 4.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 305 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($21,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,734) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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 Kanawha County, WV was $131,200 in 2022, which is 0.465 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $118,200 to $131,200, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Kanawha County, WV is 69.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Kanawha County, WV have an average commute time of 22 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kanawha County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Kanawha County, WV is $55,226. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Kanawha County, WV was Census Tract 19.01 with a value of $108,547, followed by Census Tract 19.02 and Census Tract 15, with respective values of $99,766 and $93,750.

In 2023, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kanawha County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.4%.

Housing

Property

$131,200

Median Property Value 2022

±$4,081

$53,855

Median Property Taxes

±$1,742

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 Kanawha County, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

69.7%

Homeownership

2022

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.7% of the housing units in Kanawha County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Kanawha 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 19.01
Census Tract 19.02
Census Tract 15

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Kanawha County, WV was Census Tract 19.01 with a value of $108,547, followed by Census Tract 19.02 and Census Tract 15, with respective values of $99,766 and $93,750.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Kanawha 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.

$55,226

Median Household Income

± $1,650

77.3k

Number of Households

± 2,192

In 2022, the median household income of the 77.3k households in Kanawha County, WV grew to $55,226 from the previous year's value of $50,574.

The following chart displays the households in Kanawha 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Kanawha 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 (79.2%)
Carpooled (7.98%)
Worked At Home (7.08%)

In 2022, 79.2% of workers in Kanawha County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.98%) and those who worked at home (7.08%).

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

22 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kanawha County, WV have a shorter commute time (22 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.14% of the workforce in Kanawha County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kanawha County, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kanawha County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kanawha County, WV (29.1k out of 177k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kanawha County, WV is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 20.6% of the children was living in poverty in Kanawha County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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

94.7% of the population of Kanawha County, WV has health coverage, with 42.5% on employee plans, 23.1% on Medicaid, 16.4% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 1.54% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kanawha County, WV see 728 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.09% decrease from the previous year (736 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1119 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 406 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

728 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kanawha County, WV

Primary care physicians in Kanawha County, WV see an average of 728 patients per year. This represents a 1.09% decrease from the previous year (736 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.4% under 18 years, 18.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.3%

Uninsured

42.5%

Employer Coverage

23.1%

Medicaid

16.4%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

1.54%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kanawha County, WV declined by 3.28% from 5.48% to 5.3%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Kanawha 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 64.8 in Kanawha County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Kanawha 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 38.2% in Kanawha County, WV.

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