Barbour County, WV

County

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2024 Population

15,424

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.2

0.472% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

20%

3.94% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$51,394

6.3% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$131,900

4.68% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,624

1.59% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Barbour 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.

99.7% of the residents in Barbour County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Barbour County, WV are Alderson Broaddus University (170 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2024, the median property value in Barbour County, WV was $131,900, and the homeownership rate was 78.3%.

Most people in Barbour County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Barbour County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Barbour County, WV borders Harrison County, WV, Preston County, WV, Randolph County, WV, Taylor County, WV, Tucker County, WV, and Upshur County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Barbour County, WV is home to a population of 15.4k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.363% of Barbour County, WV residents were born outside of the country (56 people).

In 2024, there were 22.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14k people) in Barbour County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 609 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 324 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.7% of Barbour County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Barbour County, WV was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Barbour County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
14k ± 253
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
609 ± 254
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
324 ± 135

1.24%

Hispanic Population

192 people

1.24% of the people in Barbour County, WV are hispanic (192 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Barbour 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

0.363%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

56 people

0.634%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

98 people

As of 2024, 0.363% of Barbour County, WV residents (56 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 Barbour County, WV was 0.634%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
290 ± 119
Gulf War (1990s)
184 ± 117
Gulf War (2001-)
181 ± 98

Barbour County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.58 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Barbour County, WV employs 5.62k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Barbour County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (997 people), Retail Trade (643 people), and Construction (577 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($115,125), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($79,175), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,844).

Employment

Occupations

5.62k

2024 Value

± 593

−1.59%

1 Year decline

± 15.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barbour County, WV declined at a rate of −1.59%, from 5.72k employees to 5.62k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Barbour County, WV, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (711 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (553 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (488 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Barbour 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

5.62k

2024 Value

± 593

−1.59%

1 Year decline

± 15.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barbour County, WV declined at a rate of −1.59%, from 5.72k employees to 5.62k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Barbour County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (997 people), Retail Trade (643 people), and Construction (577 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Barbour County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Barbour County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,183

Median earning men ± $2,212

$32,640

Median earning women ± $8,360

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($121,300), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,962), and Wholesale Trade ($64,118).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($125,676), Public Administration ($62,727), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,500).

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

20
Other Services (except Public Administration)
17
Construction
12
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

$70.9k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$27.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$8.88k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2022, universities in Barbour County, WV awarded 170 degrees. The student population of Barbour County, WV in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 426 male students and 341 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Barbour County, WV are White (114 and 74.5%), Black or African American (28 and 18.3%), Hispanic or Latino (6 and 3.92%), and Asian (3 and 1.96%).

The largest universities in Barbour County, WV by number of degrees awarded are Alderson Broaddus University (170 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Barbour County, WV are Physician Assistant (33 and 19.4%), Registered Nursing (18 and 10.6%), and Kinesiology & Exercise Science (14 and 8.24%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $31,200.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Barbour County, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 767 (55.5% men and 44.5% 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 767 students enrolled in Barbour County, WV, 55.5% men and 44.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 415 records, of which 58.8% were women and 41.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
18 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
14 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
14 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Barbour County, WV was Registered Nursing with 18 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Alderson Broaddus University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

170 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Alderson Broaddus University with 170 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 84 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Barbour County, WV, which is 0.977 times less than the 86 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 114 degrees mean that there were 4.07 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 28 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 ($31,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($300) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,500) 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 Barbour County, WV was $131,900 in 2024, which is 0.396 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $126,000 to $131,900, a 4.68% increase. The homeownership rate in Barbour County, WV is 78.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Barbour County, WV have an average commute time of 30.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Barbour County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.29% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barbour County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.714%.

Housing

Property

$131,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,924

$4,819

Median Property Taxes

±$495

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

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

Rent vs Own

78.3%

Homeownership

2024

66.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.3% of the housing units in Barbour County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Barbour 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.

$51,394

Median Household Income

± $3,654

6.15k

Number of Households

± 572

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.15k households in Barbour County, WV grew to $51,394 from the previous year's value of $48,347.

The following chart displays the households in Barbour 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 $20k - $25k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Barbour 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 (80.1%)
Carpooled (6.64%)
Worked At Home (6.64%)

In 2024, 80.1% of workers in Barbour County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.64%) and those who worked at home (6.64%).

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

30.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Barbour County, WV have a longer commute time (30.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.2% of the workforce in Barbour County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.29% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barbour County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.714%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

20% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Barbour County, WV (2.95k out of 14.8k 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 Females 35 - 44 and then Males 35 - 44.

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

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, 25.1% of the children was living in poverty in Barbour County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

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 451 in Barbour County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 224 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.5% of the population of Barbour County, WV has health coverage, with 40.8% on employee plans, 25.5% on Medicaid, 17.1% on Medicare, 6.92% on non-group plans, and 3.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Barbour County, WV see 3,094 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,094 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3854 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 809 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,094 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Barbour County, WV

Primary care physicians in Barbour County, WV see an average of 3,094 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,094 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 20.7% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.54%

Uninsured

40.8%

Employer Coverage

25.5%

Medicaid

17.1%

Medicare

6.92%

Non-Group

3.17%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Barbour County, WV grew by 10.6% from 5.91% to 6.54%.

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