Bluefield, WV

Census Place

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2024 Population
9,387
US Senator
Shelley Moore Capito
Republican Party
US Senator
Jim Justice
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
45
9.22% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
18.5%
7.58% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$49,375
12.7% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$105,400
4.36% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
4,011
6.99% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Bluefield, 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.

98.8% of the residents in Bluefield, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bluefield, WV are Bluefield State University (234 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Bluefield, WV was $105,400, and the homeownership rate was 65.1%.

Most people in Bluefield, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Bluefield, WV was 2 cars per household.

United StatesWest VirginiaMercer County, WVBluefield, WV-VAMount Rogers Planning District Commission PUMA, VALENOWISCO & Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commissions PUMA, VAMercer, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas Counties PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Bluefield, WV is home to a population of 9.39k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.4% of Bluefield, WV residents were born outside of the country (131 people).

In 2024, there were 5.65 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.12k people) in Bluefield, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.26k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 584 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%
2024 Citizenship
99.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Bluefield, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Bluefield, WV was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bluefield, WV
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    7.12k ± 416
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.26k ± 236
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    584 ± 253
3.07%
Hispanic Population
288 people

In 2024, there were 5.65 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.12k people) in Bluefield, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.26k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 584 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

3.07% of the people in Bluefield, WV are hispanic (288 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Bluefield, WV as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. India
    2,277 ± 1,171 people
  2. Mexico
    2,211 ± 1,154 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.4%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
131 people
1.48%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
141 people

As of 2024, 1.4% of Bluefield, WV residents (131 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 Bluefield, WV was 1.48%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    81 ± 56
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    50 ± 53
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    48 ± 59

Bluefield, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Bluefield, WV employs 4.01k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Bluefield, WV were Educational Services (708 people), Retail Trade (645 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (529 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($152,542), Transportation & Warehousing ($152,542), and Construction ($60,221).

Employment

Occupations

4.01k
2024 Value
± 497
6.99%
1 Year growth
± 17.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bluefield, WV grew at a rate of 6.99%, from 3.75k employees to 4.01k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bluefield, WV, are Sales & Related Occupations (626 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (577 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (370 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bluefield, WV.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.01k
2024 Value
± 497
6.99%
1 Year growth
± 17.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bluefield, WV grew at a rate of 6.99%, from 3.75k employees to 4.01k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bluefield, WV, are Educational Services (708 people), Retail Trade (645 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (529 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bluefield, WV, though some of these residents may live in Bluefield, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$43,179
Median earning men ± $4,497
$34,467
Median earning women ± $4,387

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($153,665), Construction ($60,721), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($59,737).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($48,095), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($47,500), and Information ($46,522).

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Bluefield, WV awarded 234 degrees. The student population of Bluefield, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 499 male students and 771 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bluefield, WV are White (201 and 86.6%), Black or African American (19 and 8.19%), Two or More Races (7 and 3.02%), and Hispanic or Latino (3 and 1.29%).

The largest universities in Bluefield, WV by number of degrees awarded are Bluefield State University (234 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Bluefield, WV are Registered Nursing (89 and 38%), General Studies (18 and 7.69%), and General Business Administration & Management (17 and 7.26%).

The median tuition cost in Bluefield, WV for a public four year colleges is $9,240 for in-state students and $16,560 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Bluefield, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 87.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 34.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,270 (39.3% men and 60.7% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 1,270 students enrolled in Bluefield, WV, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 913 records, of which 66.7% were women and 33.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    17 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    18 degrees awarded
  3. General Studies
    18 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bluefield, WV was General Business Administration & Management with 17 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Bluefield State University
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
234 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Bluefield State University with 234 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 83 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bluefield, WV, which is 0.55 times less than the 151 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 201 degrees mean that there were 10.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 19 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($9,240) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Bluefield, WV was $105,400 in 2024, which is 0.317 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $101,000 to $105,400, a 4.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Bluefield, WV is 65.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Bluefield, WV have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Bluefield, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$105,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$9,982
$2,620
Median Property Taxes
±$369

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

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

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Rent vs Own

65.1%
Homeownership
2024
64.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 65.1% of the housing units in Bluefield, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.6%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$49,375
Median Household Income
± $12,534
4.03k
Number of Households
± 488

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.03k households in Bluefield, WV grew to $49,375 from the previous year's value of $43,826.

The following chart displays the households in Bluefield, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bluefield, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (74.7%)
  2. Worked At Home (10.5%)
  3. Carpooled (10.2%)

In 2024, 74.7% of workers in Bluefield, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.5%) and those who carpooled to work (10.2%).

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.

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Commute Time

23.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bluefield, WV have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.96% of the workforce in Bluefield, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Bluefield, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Bluefield, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Bluefield, WV have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bluefield, WV (1.71k out of 9.2k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Bluefield, 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.

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Health

91.4% of the population of Bluefield, WV has health coverage, with 29.8% on employee plans, 30.7% on Medicaid, 14.9% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 0.793% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see 1,319 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,319 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1705 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 506 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.3% were men and 54.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.7% under 18 years, 18.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.3% were men and 54.7% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.6%
Uninsured
29.8%
Employer Coverage
30.7%
Medicaid
14.9%
Medicare
15.2%
Non-Group
0.793%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bluefield, WV declined by 2.93% from 8.86% to 8.6%.

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

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