Fairmont, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

18,221

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.9

1.16% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

17.4%

2.27% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$63,032

3.69% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$163,800

Population & Diversity

Fairmont, WV is home to a population of 18.2k people, from which 98.8% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.49% of Fairmont, WV residents were born outside of the country (271 people).

In 2024, there were 13.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.3k people) in Fairmont, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.1k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 904 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%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Fairmont, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fairmont, WV was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fairmont, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.3k ± 279
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.1k ± 199
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
904 ± 221

2.45%

Hispanic Population

446 people

2.45% of the people in Fairmont, WV are hispanic (446 people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,614 ± 1,254 people
Philippines
2,231 ± 1,159 people
India
2,211 ± 1,154 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,614 West Virginia residents, followed by Philippines with 2,231 and India with 2,211.

Foreign-Born Population

1.49%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

271 people

1.11%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

203 people

As of 2024, 1.49% of Fairmont, WV residents (271 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 Fairmont, WV was 1.11%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
346 ± 156
Vietnam
326 ± 116
Gulf War (1990s)
190 ± 88

Fairmont, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.06 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Fairmont, WV employs 9.28k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fairmont, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,672 people), Retail Trade (1,118 people), and Educational Services (981 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($69,828), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($69,828), and Transportation & Warehousing ($67,841).

Employment

Occupations

9.28k

2024 Value

± 725

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fairmont, WV grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 9.16k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fairmont, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,071 people), Sales & Related Occupations (784 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (767 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fairmont, 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

9.28k

2024 Value

± 725

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fairmont, WV grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 9.16k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fairmont, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,672 people), Retail Trade (1,118 people), and Educational Services (981 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fairmont, WV, though some of these residents may live in Fairmont, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,667

Median earning men ± $6,343

$35,587

Median earning women ± $4,639

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($113,182), Public Administration ($70,962), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($69,632).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($63,167), Manufacturing ($48,438), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($44,688).

Education

The student population of Fairmont, WV in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,096 male students and 3,147 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fairmont, WV are White (1,507 and 80.1%), Black or African American (133 and 7.07%), Two or More Races (120 and 6.38%), and Unknown (42 and 2.23%).

The largest universities in Fairmont, WV by number of degrees awarded are Pierpont Community and Technical College (976 and 51.6%) and Fairmont State University (917 and 48.4%).

The most popular majors in Fairmont, WV are General Studies (474 and 25%), Registered Nursing (197 and 10.4%), and Other Engineering Technologies & Engineering-Related Fields (184 and 9.72%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $6,746 for in-state students and $16,750 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Fairmont, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 33.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 5,243 (40% men and 60% 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 2024 there were 5,243 students enrolled in Fairmont, WV, 40% men and 60% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,562 records, of which 61.7% were women and 38.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
436 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
146 degrees awarded
Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications
32 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Fairmont, WV was General Studies with 436 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Pierpont Community and Technical College
976 degrees awarded
Fairmont State University
917 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pierpont Community and Technical College with 976 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 929 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fairmont, WV, which is 0.964 times less than the 964 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,507 degrees mean that there were 11.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 133 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

Public, 4-year or above ($6,746) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,962) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,000) 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 Fairmont, WV was $163,800 in 2024, which is 0.492 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $159,100 to $163,800, a 2.95% increase. The homeownership rate in Fairmont, WV is 63.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Fairmont, WV have an average commute time of 22.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fairmont, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$163,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,411

$5,062

Median Property Taxes

±$432

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

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

Rent vs Own

63.1%

Homeownership

2024

60.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.1% of the housing units in Fairmont, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fairmont, 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.

$63,032

Median Household Income

± $2,689

8.02k

Number of Households

± 622

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.02k households in Fairmont, WV grew to $63,032 from the previous year's value of $60,791.

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

0.443

2024 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0426% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (70.9%)
Worked At Home (12.2%)
Carpooled (10%)

In 2024, 70.9% of workers in Fairmont, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.2%) and those who carpooled to work (10%).

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

22.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fairmont, WV have a shorter commute time (22.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.23% of the workforce in Fairmont, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fairmont, WV (2.99k out of 17.2k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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