Athens, WV

Census Place

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2024 Population
1,494
US Senator
Shelley Moore Capito
Republican Party
US Senator
Jim Justice
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
21.1
22.7% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
19.4%
99.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$56,667
9.03% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$168,100
7.21% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
461
10.8% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Athens, 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.

97.1% of the residents in Athens, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Athens, WV was $168,100, and the homeownership rate was 74.1%.

Most people in Athens, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Athens, WV was 2 cars per household.

United StatesWest VirginiaMercer County, WVBluefield, WV-VAMercer, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas Counties PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Athens, WV is home to a population of 1.49k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.48% of Athens, WV residents were born outside of the country (67 people).

In 2024, there were 21.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.31k people) in Athens, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 61 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 44 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%
2024 Citizenship
97.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Athens, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Athens, WV was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Athens, 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 Athens, WV
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.31k ± 366
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    61 ± 68
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    44 ± 57
3.08%
Hispanic Population
46 people

In 2024, there were 21.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.31k people) in Athens, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 61 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 44 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

3.08% of the people in Athens, WV are hispanic (46 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Athens, 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

4.48%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
67 people
3.55%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
41 people

As of 2024, 4.48% of Athens, WV residents (67 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 Athens, WV was 3.55%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    9 ± 24
  2. Vietnam
    6 ± 20
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    4 ± 15

Athens, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Athens, WV employs 461 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Athens, WV were Educational Services (118 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (73 people), and Public Administration (44 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services ($49,167), Public Administration ($46,250), and Manufacturing ($45,156).

Employment

Occupations

461
2024 Value
± 147
10.8%
1 Year growth
± 39.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens, WV grew at a rate of 10.8%, from 416 employees to 461 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Athens, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (77 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (65 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (44 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Athens, 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

461
2024 Value
± 147
10.8%
1 Year growth
± 39.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens, WV grew at a rate of 10.8%, from 416 employees to 461 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Athens, WV, are Educational Services (118 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (73 people), and Public Administration (44 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Athens, WV, though some of these residents may live in Athens, 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

$12,000
Median earning men ± $40,937
$19,219
Median earning women ± $24,811

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,464), Manufacturing ($45,156), and Public Administration ($29,706).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($25,536) and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($15,156).

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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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Housing & Living

The median property value in Athens, WV was $168,100 in 2024, which is 0.505 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $156,800 to $168,100, a 7.21% increase. The homeownership rate in Athens, WV is 74.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Athens, WV have an average commute time of 17.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Athens, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$168,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$38,246
$258
Median Property Taxes
±$83

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

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

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Rent vs Own

74.1%
Homeownership
2024
72.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 74.1% of the housing units in Athens, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Athens, 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.
$56,667
Median Household Income
± $28,384
348
Number of Households
± 95

In 2024, the median household income of the 348 households in Athens, WV declined from $56,667 from the previous year's value of $62,292.

The following chart displays the households in Athens, 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 $60k - $75k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Athens, 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 (45.6%)
  2. Carpooled (20.8%)
  3. Walked (17.1%)

In 2024, 45.6% of workers in Athens, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (20.8%) and those who walked to work (17.1%).

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

17.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Athens, WV have a shorter commute time (17.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.47% of the workforce in Athens, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Athens, WV (182 out of 936 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 Males < 5.

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

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

96.2% of the population of Athens, WV has health coverage, with 48.9% on employee plans, 27% on Medicaid, 11% on Medicare, 8.7% on non-group plans, and 0.602% 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, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 32.7% under 18 years, 31.9% between 18 and 34 years, 23.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

3.82%
Uninsured
48.9%
Employer Coverage
27%
Medicaid
11%
Medicare
8.7%
Non-Group
0.602%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Athens, WV declined by 16.8% from 4.58% to 3.82%.

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

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