Fayette County, WV

County

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2024 Population

39,519

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.7

0.449% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.2%

2.4% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$53,194

0.991% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$105,800

1.54% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

14,710

1.6% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Fayette 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.

99.9% of the residents in Fayette County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fayette County, WV are Fayette Institute of Technology (35 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Fayette County, WV was $105,800, and the homeownership rate was 77.7%.

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

Fayette County, WV borders Greenbrier County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, Raleigh County, WV, and Summers County, WV.

United States West Virginia Beckley, WV

Population & Diversity

Fayette County, WV is home to a population of 39.5k people, from which 99.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.261% of Fayette County, WV residents were born outside of the country (103 people).

In 2024, there were 22 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.1k people) in Fayette County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.64k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 851 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.9% of Fayette County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fayette County, WV was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fayette County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.1k ± 141
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.64k ± 94
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
851 ± 91

1.39%

Hispanic Population

549 people

1.39% of the people in Fayette County, WV are hispanic (549 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Fayette 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

0.261%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

103 people

0.478%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

191 people

As of 2024, 0.261% of Fayette County, WV residents (103 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 Fayette County, WV was 0.478%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
784 ± 183
Gulf War (2001-)
686 ± 217
Gulf War (1990s)
396 ± 117

Fayette County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Fayette County, WV employs 14.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fayette County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,783 people), Retail Trade (2,384 people), and Construction (1,299 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,271), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,599), and Information ($61,607).

Employment

Occupations

14.7k

2024 Value

± 988

1.6%

1 Year growth

± 9.31%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, WV grew at a rate of 1.6%, from 14.5k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fayette County, WV, are Sales & Related Occupations (2,155 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,289 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,173 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fayette 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

14.7k

2024 Value

± 988

1.6%

1 Year growth

± 9.31%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, WV grew at a rate of 1.6%, from 14.5k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fayette County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,783 people), Retail Trade (2,384 people), and Construction (1,299 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fayette County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Fayette County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,743

Median earning men ± $5,053

$34,530

Median earning women ± $2,318

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($77,045), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,740), and Public Administration ($60,909).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,197), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,202), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,194).

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

65
Other Services (except Public Administration)
46
Retail Trade
44
Construction

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

$73.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$62.4k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$37.9k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Fayette County, WV awarded 35 degrees. The student population of Fayette County, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 16 male students and 20 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fayette County, WV are White (34 and 97.1%) and Black or African American (1 and 2.86%).

The largest universities in Fayette County, WV by number of degrees awarded are Fayette Institute of Technology (35 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Fayette County, WV are Electrician (18 and 51.4%) and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (17 and 48.6%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 36 students enrolled in Fayette County, WV, 44.4% men and 55.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 36 records, of which 55.6% were women and 44.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Electrician
18 degrees awarded
Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training
17 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Fayette County, WV was Electrician with 18 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Fayette Institute of Technology

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

35 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Fayette Institute of Technology with 35 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 20 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fayette County, WV, which is 1.33 times more than the 15 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 34 degrees mean that there were 34 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fayette County, WV was $105,800 in 2024, which is 0.318 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $104,200 to $105,800, a 1.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Fayette County, WV is 77.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

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

In 2025, 10.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.746%.

Housing

Property

$105,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,907

$12,387

Median Property Taxes

±$782

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

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

Rent vs Own

77.7%

Homeownership

2024

62.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.7% of the housing units in Fayette County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fayette 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.

$53,194

Median Household Income

± $2,709

15.9k

Number of Households

± 926

In 2024, the median household income of the 15.9k households in Fayette County, WV grew to $53,194 from the previous year's value of $52,672.

The following chart displays the households in Fayette 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fayette 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 (78.1%)
Carpooled (11.2%)
Worked At Home (6.64%)

In 2024, 78.1% of workers in Fayette County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) 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 Fayette County, WV have a longer commute time (30.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.54% of the workforce in Fayette County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.746%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fayette County, WV (7.36k out of 38.3k 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 Males 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22.4% of the children was living in poverty in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.5%.

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 278 in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 45.5 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92% of the population of Fayette County, WV has health coverage, with 31.5% on employee plans, 28.2% on Medicaid, 15.3% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 3.68% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, WV see 2,495 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,495 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1795 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1116 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

2,495 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Fayette County, WV

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, WV see an average of 2,495 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,495 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.5% under 18 years, 16.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% 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

8.01%

Uninsured

31.5%

Employer Coverage

28.2%

Medicaid

15.3%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

3.68%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fayette County, WV declined by 4.99% from 8.43% to 8.01%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 59.3 in Fayette County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Fayette County, WV.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.4% in Fayette County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Fayette County, WV.