Bluefield, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

9,387

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

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

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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bluefield, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.12k ± 416
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.26k ± 236
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
584 ± 253

3.07%

Hispanic Population

288 people

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.

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

1.4%

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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
81 ± 56
Gulf War (1990s)
50 ± 53
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.

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 ($152,542), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($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.

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

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.

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).

Education

The student population of Bluefield, WV in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 454 male students and 687 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bluefield, WV are White (237 and 88.1%), Black or African American (17 and 6.32%), Two or More Races (10 and 3.72%), and Hispanic or Latino (3 and 1.12%).

The largest universities in Bluefield, WV by number of degrees awarded are Bluefield State University (273 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Bluefield, WV are Registered Nursing (86 and 31.5%), General Studies (24 and 8.79%), and General Business Administration & Management (24 and 8.79%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $9,648 for in-state students and $17,376 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Bluefield, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 97.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 32.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 1,141 (39.8% men and 60.2% 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 1,141 students enrolled in Bluefield, WV, 39.8% men and 60.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 767 records, of which 67% were women and 33% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
24 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
16 degrees awarded
Civil Engineering Technology
11 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bluefield, WV was General Studies with 24 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Bluefield State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

273 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Bluefield State University with 273 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 111 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bluefield, WV, which is 0.685 times less than the 162 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 237 degrees mean that there were 13.9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 17 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 ($9,648) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) 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 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.

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.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bluefield, 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 (74.7%)
Worked At Home (10.5%)
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.

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.

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.

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.

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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