Beckley, WV

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

112,714

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.4

0.231% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.5%

4.57% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,620

0.525% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$129,600

5.02% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

41,770

0.0407% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Beckley, 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.

99.5% of the residents in Beckley, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Beckley, WV are New River Community and Technical College (318 degrees awarded in 2023), West Virginia University Institute of Technology (166 degrees), and Academy of Careers and Technology (106 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Beckley, WV was $129,600, and the homeownership rate was 76.2%.

Most people in Beckley, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Beckley, WV was 2 cars per household.

Beckley, WV borders Bluefield, WV-VA and Charleston, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Beckley, WV is home to a population of 113k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.07% of Beckley, WV residents were born outside of the country (1.21k people).

In 2024, there were 15.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (99.8k people) in Beckley, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.51k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.13k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Beckley, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Beckley, WV was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Beckley, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
99.8k ± 280
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
6.51k ± 343
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.13k ± 326

1.64%

Hispanic Population

1.85k people

1.64% of the people in Beckley, WV are hispanic (1.85k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA 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

1.07%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.21k people

0.991%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.13k people

As of 2024, 1.07% of Beckley, WV residents (1.21k 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 Beckley, WV was 0.991%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,023 ± 408
Gulf War (2001-)
1,463 ± 297
Gulf War (1990s)
902 ± 208

Beckley, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Beckley, WV employs 41.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Beckley, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (8,475 people), Retail Trade (6,089 people), and Educational Services (3,694 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($79,852), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,109), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,477).

Employment

Occupations

41.8k

2024 Value

± 1,869

0.0407%

1 Year growth

± 6.37%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Beckley, WV grew at a rate of 0.0407%, from 41.8k employees to 41.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Beckley, WV, are Sales & Related Occupations (5,470 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,810 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (3,123 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Beckley, 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

41.8k

2024 Value

± 1,869

0.0407%

1 Year growth

± 6.37%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Beckley, WV grew at a rate of 0.0407%, from 41.8k employees to 41.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Beckley, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (8,475 people), Retail Trade (6,089 people), and Educational Services (3,694 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Beckley, WV, though some of these residents may live in Beckley, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,229

Median earning men ± $3,253

$34,070

Median earning women ± $1,951

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($79,063), Information ($70,523), and Public Administration ($67,460).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($75,234), Information ($57,500), and Wholesale Trade ($56,161).

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

177
Other Services (except Public Administration)
164
Health Care and Social Assistance
136
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

$403k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$180k
Retail Trade
$170k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Beckley, WV awarded 743 degrees. The student population of Beckley, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,350 male students and 1,942 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Beckley, WV are White (620 and 85.6%), Unknown (36 and 4.97%), Two or More Races (28 and 3.87%), and Black or African American (22 and 3.04%).

The largest universities in Beckley, WV by number of degrees awarded are New River Community and Technical College (318 and 42.8%), West Virginia University Institute of Technology (166 and 22.3%), and Academy of Careers and Technology (106 and 14.3%).

The most popular majors in Beckley, WV are Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (73 and 9.83%), Medical Assistant (63 and 8.48%), and Biblical Studies (56 and 7.54%).

The median tuition costs in Beckley, WV are $16,280 for private four year colleges, and $8,064 and $20,160 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Beckley, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 63.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 52.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,292 (41% men and 59% 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 2023 there were 3,292 students enrolled in Beckley, WV, 41% men and 59% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,803 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training
73 degrees awarded
Medical Assistant
58 degrees awarded
General Cosmetology
40 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Beckley, WV was Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training with 73 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Beckley, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

New River Community and Technical College
318 degrees awarded
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
166 degrees awarded
Academy of Careers and Technology
106 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New River Community and Technical College with 318 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 313 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Beckley, WV, which is 0.728 times less than the 430 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 620 degrees mean that there were 17.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 36 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 ($16,280) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,950) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) 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 Beckley, WV was $129,600 in 2024, which is 0.39 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $123,400 to $129,600, a 5.02% increase. The homeownership rate in Beckley, WV is 76.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Beckley, WV have an average commute time of 25.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Beckley, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$129,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,251

$34,236

Median Property Taxes

±$1,473

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

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

Rent vs Own

76.2%

Homeownership

2024

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.2% of the housing units in Beckley, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Beckley, 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.

$52,620

Median Household Income

± $2,324

45k

Number of Households

± 1,806

In 2024, the median household income of the 45k households in Beckley, WV grew to $52,620 from the previous year's value of $52,345.

The following chart displays the households in Beckley, 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 Beckley, 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 (80.8%)
Carpooled (8.2%)
Worked At Home (7.79%)

In 2024, 80.8% of workers in Beckley, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.2%) and those who worked at home (7.79%).

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

25.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Beckley, WV have a shorter commute time (25.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.36% of the workforce in Beckley, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Beckley, WV (23.2k out of 108k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 55 - 64.

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

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.

Health

94.5% of the population of Beckley, WV has health coverage, with 35.3% on employee plans, 24.1% on Medicaid, 14.2% on Medicare, 18.5% on non-group plans, and 2.36% 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, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,319 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in West Virginia

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see an average of 1,319 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,319 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.55%

Uninsured

35.3%

Employer Coverage

24.1%

Medicaid

14.2%

Medicare

18.5%

Non-Group

2.36%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Beckley, WV declined by 6.66% from 5.94% to 5.55%.

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

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