Putnam County, WV

County

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2024 Population

57,177

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.6

0.709% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.6%

0.834% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$79,527

2.13% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$223,300

4.25% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

26,523

1.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Putnam 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 Putnam County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Putnam County, WV are Putnam Career and Technical Center (48 degrees awarded in 2023) and Strayer University-West Virginia (30 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Putnam County, WV was $223,300, and the homeownership rate was 81.8%.

Most people in Putnam County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Putnam County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Putnam County, WV borders Cabell County, WV, Jackson County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, Lincoln County, WV, and Mason County, WV.

United States West Virginia Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

Population & Diversity

Putnam County, WV is home to a population of 57.2k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.39% of Putnam County, WV residents were born outside of the country (792 people).

In 2024, there were 44.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (53.5k people) in Putnam County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 542 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.3% of Putnam County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Putnam County, WV was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Putnam County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
53.5k ± 377
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.2k ± 310
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
542 ± 268

1.52%

Hispanic Population

871 people

1.52% of the people in Putnam County, WV are hispanic (871 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Putnam 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

India
2,277 ± 1,171 people
Mexico
2,211 ± 1,154 people
Germany
1,987 ± 1,094 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was India, the natal country of 2,277 West Virginia residents, followed by Mexico with 2,211 and Germany with 1,987.

Foreign-Born Population

1.39%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

792 people

1.31%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

751 people

As of 2024, 1.39% of Putnam County, WV residents (792 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Putnam County, WV was 1.31%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,133 ± 264
Gulf War (2001-)
1,016 ± 338
Gulf War (1990s)
512 ± 174

Putnam County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.12 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Putnam County, WV.

Economy

The economy of Putnam County, WV employs 26.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Putnam County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,685 people), Retail Trade (2,890 people), and Educational Services (2,271 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($126,250), Information ($107,679), and Utilities ($96,685).

Employment

Occupations

26.5k

2024 Value

± 1,431

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 7.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Putnam County, WV grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 26.2k employees to 26.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Putnam County, WV, are Management Occupations (3,089 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,881 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,555 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Putnam County, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

26.5k

2024 Value

± 1,431

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 7.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Putnam County, WV grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 26.2k employees to 26.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Putnam County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,685 people), Retail Trade (2,890 people), and Educational Services (2,271 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Putnam County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Putnam County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$65,280

Median earning men ± $4,953

$42,041

Median earning women ± $4,899

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($137,693), Information ($118,750), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($94,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($86,144), Wholesale Trade ($69,474), and Manufacturing ($69,063).

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

83
Construction
64
Other Services (except Public Administration)
59
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$204k
Manufacturing
$168k
Construction
$158k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Putnam County, WV awarded 78 degrees. The student population of Putnam County, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 123 male students and 304 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Putnam County, WV are White (72 and 92.3%), Black or African American (3 and 3.85%), Two or More Races (2 and 2.56%), and Asian (1 and 1.28%).

The largest universities in Putnam County, WV by number of degrees awarded are Putnam Career and Technical Center (48 and 61.5%) and Strayer University-West Virginia (30 and 38.5%).

The most popular majors in Putnam County, WV are Medical Assistant (23 and 29.5%), Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology (16 and 20.5%), and General Business (13 and 16.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 427 students enrolled in Putnam County, WV, 28.8% men and 71.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 356 records, of which 70.8% were women and 29.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Medical Assistant
23 degrees awarded
Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology
16 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Putnam County, WV was Medical Assistant with 23 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Putnam County, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Putnam Career and Technical Center
48 degrees awarded
Strayer University-West Virginia
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Putnam Career and Technical Center with 48 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 32 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Putnam County, WV, which is 0.696 times less than the 46 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 72 degrees mean that there were 24 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3 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

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($13,725) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($195) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($675) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Putnam County, WV was $223,300 in 2024, which is 0.671 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $214,200 to $223,300, a 4.25% increase. The homeownership rate in Putnam County, WV is 81.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Putnam County, WV have an average commute time of 27.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Putnam County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Putnam County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.1%.

Housing

Property

$223,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,119

$19,015

Median Property Taxes

±$1,129

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 Putnam County, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

81.8%

Homeownership

2024

64.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 81.8% of the housing units in Putnam County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 82.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Putnam County, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$79,527

Median Household Income

± $6,071

23.3k

Number of Households

± 1,296

In 2024, the median household income of the 23.3k households in Putnam County, WV grew to $79,527 from the previous year's value of $77,871.

The following chart displays the households in Putnam 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 Putnam County, WV is from West Virginia.

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.39% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (79.8%)
Worked At Home (10.6%)
Carpooled (8.27%)

In 2024, 79.8% of workers in Putnam County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.6%) and those who carpooled to work (8.27%).

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

27.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Putnam County, WV have a longer commute time (27.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.79% of the workforce in Putnam County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Putnam County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.1%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Putnam County, WV (6.01k out of 56.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Putnam County, WV is White, followed by Other 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 2025, 11.5% of the children was living in poverty in Putnam County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.9%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 371 in Putnam County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 208 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.4% of the population of Putnam County, WV has health coverage, with 50.9% on employee plans, 16.5% on Medicaid, 16.4% on Medicare, 8.96% on non-group plans, and 1.66% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Putnam County, WV see 954 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (954 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2376 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 919 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

954 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Putnam County, WV

Primary care physicians in Putnam County, WV see an average of 954 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (954 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 17.4% between 18 and 34 years, 40.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.64%

Uninsured

50.9%

Employer Coverage

16.5%

Medicaid

16.4%

Medicare

8.96%

Non-Group

1.66%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Putnam County, WV declined by 8.74% from 6.18% to 5.64%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Putnam County, WV changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 51.8 in Putnam County, WV.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 38.1% in Putnam County, WV.

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