Fayette County, WV

County

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2023 Population

39,987

1.38% 1-year decline

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

44.5

0.447% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

18.8%

12.7% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$52,672

5.15% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$104,200

0.969% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

14,478

2.09% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Fayette County, WV had a population of 40k people with a median age of 44.5 and a median household income of $52,672. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Fayette County, WV declined from 40,545 to 39,987, a −1.38% decrease and its median household income grew from $50,090 to $52,672, a 5.15% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Fayette County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.51%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.8%), Other (Hispanic) (0.425%), and Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) (0.383%).

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.

99.7% 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 2023, the median property value in Fayette County, WV was $104,200, and the homeownership rate was 75.7%.

Most people in Fayette County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 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 40k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.478% of Fayette County, WV residents were born outside of the country (191 people).

In 2023, there were 20.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.7k people) in Fayette County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 718 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

99.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.7% of Fayette County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Fayette County, WV was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
36.7k ± 150
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.8k ± 130
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
718 ± 129

1.35%

Hispanic Population

538 people

1.35% of the people in Fayette County, WV are hispanic (538 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

0.478%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

191 people

0.338%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

137 people

As of 2023, 0.478% of Fayette County, WV residents (191 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fayette County, WV was 0.338%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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
879 ± 160
Gulf War (2001-)
559 ± 206
Gulf War (1990s)
424 ± 145

Fayette County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.57 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Fayette County, WV employs 14.5k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Fayette County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,628 people), Retail Trade (2,276 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,358 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($91,667), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($82,917), and Information ($68,563).

Employment

Occupations

14.5k

2023 Value

± 965

2.09%

1 Year growth

± 9.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fayette County, WV grew at a rate of 2.09%, from 14.2k employees to 14.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fayette County, WV, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,982 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,242 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,228 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

14.5k

2023 Value

± 965

2.09%

1 Year growth

± 9.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fayette County, WV grew at a rate of 2.09%, from 14.2k employees to 14.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fayette County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,628 people), Retail Trade (2,276 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,358 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

$46,026

Median earning men ± $4,125

$32,897

Median earning women ± $1,884

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,347), Information ($88,143), and Manufacturing ($71,607).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,914), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,750), and Public Administration ($37,426).

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%), followed by Black or African American (1 and 2.86%), Hispanic or Latino (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.711% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.616% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (563k), Some college (280k), and Secondary Education (213k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fayette County, WV was $104,200 in 2023, which is 0.343 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $103,200 to $104,200, a 0.969% increase. The homeownership rate in Fayette County, WV is 75.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Fayette County, WV have an average commute time of 29.9 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.

Median household income in Fayette County, WV is $52,672. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Fayette County, WV was Census Tract 210, Fayette County, WV with a value of $61,726, followed by Census Tract 202.01, Fayette County, WV and Census Tract 202.02, Fayette County, WV, with respective values of $61,538 and $57,950.

In 2024, 11.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.3%.

Housing

Property

$104,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,236

$12,194

Median Property Taxes

±$783

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

75.7%

Homeownership

2023

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 75.7% 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

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 210, Fayette County, WV
Census Tract 202.01, Fayette County, WV
Census Tract 202.02, Fayette County, WV

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Fayette County, WV was Census Tract 210, Fayette County, WV with a value of $61,726, followed by Census Tract 202.01, Fayette County, WV and Census Tract 202.02, Fayette County, WV, with respective values of $61,538 and $57,950.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Fayette County, WV colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,672

Median Household Income

± $3,974

16.1k

Number of Households

± 910

In 2023, the median household income of the 16.1k households in Fayette County, WV grew to $52,672 from the previous year's value of $50,090.

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 2023

Drove Alone (77.8%)
Carpooled (11.7%)
Worked At Home (6.09%)

In 2023, 77.8% of workers in Fayette County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who worked at home (6.09%).

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

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fayette County, WV have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.4% 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 2024, 11.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.3%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fayette County, WV (7.28k out of 38.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males 35 - 44.

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

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 27.5% of the children was living in poverty in Fayette County, WV. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 3.4%.

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

91.6% of the population of Fayette County, WV has health coverage, with 29.5% on employee plans, 30% on Medicaid, 14.9% on Medicare, 13.5% on non-group plans, and 3.64% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, WV see 2,495 patients per year on average, which represents a 6.76% increase from the previous year (2,337 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1795 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1316 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 6.76% increase from the previous year (2,337 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.1% under 18 years, 16.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.1% 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

8.43%

Uninsured

29.5%

Employer Coverage

30%

Medicaid

14.9%

Medicare

13.5%

Non-Group

3.64%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fayette County, WV grew by 5.12% from 8.02% to 8.43%.

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 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 65.6 in Fayette County, WV.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 42.1% in Fayette County, WV.

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