Gilmer County, WV

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

7,288

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.5

1.97% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19%

47% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$47,981

5.9% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$83,800

0.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,059

2.32% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Gilmer 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.

97% of the residents in Gilmer County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gilmer County, WV are Glenville State University (286 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Gilmer County, WV was $83,800, and the homeownership rate was 75.6%.

Most people in Gilmer County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Gilmer County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Gilmer County, WV borders Braxton County, WV, Calhoun County, WV, Doddridge County, WV, Lewis County, WV, and Ritchie County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Gilmer County, WV is home to a population of 7.29k people, from which 97% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.4% of Gilmer County, WV residents were born outside of the country (248 people).

In 2024, there were 5.76 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.72k people) in Gilmer County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 993 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 191 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97%

2024 Citizenship

96.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97% of Gilmer County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gilmer County, WV was 96.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gilmer County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.72k ± 60
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
993 ± 22
White (Hispanic)
191 ± 35

4.1%

Hispanic Population

299 people

4.1% of the people in Gilmer County, WV are hispanic (299 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Gilmer 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

3.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

248 people

3.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

280 people

As of 2024, 3.4% of Gilmer County, WV residents (248 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 Gilmer County, WV was 3.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
120 ± 64
Gulf War (1990s)
117 ± 70
Gulf War (2001-)
106 ± 70

Gilmer County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.03 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Gilmer County, WV employs 2.06k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gilmer County, WV were Educational Services (534 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (303 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (191 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,167), Transportation & Warehousing ($78,333), and Construction ($72,917).

Employment

Occupations

2.06k

2024 Value

± 296

−2.32%

1 Year decline

± 20.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gilmer County, WV declined at a rate of −2.32%, from 2.11k employees to 2.06k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gilmer County, WV, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (227 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (183 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (180 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gilmer 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

2.06k

2024 Value

± 296

−2.32%

1 Year decline

± 20.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gilmer County, WV declined at a rate of −2.32%, from 2.11k employees to 2.06k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gilmer County, WV, are Educational Services (534 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (303 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (191 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gilmer County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Gilmer County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,962

Median earning men ± $5,992

$30,037

Median earning women ± $12,834

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,167), Public Administration ($76,083), and Construction ($74,583).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,068), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($33,478), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($30,509).

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

11
Retail Trade
8
Other Services (except Public Administration)
7
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$8.07k
Manufacturing
$5.42k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$5.19k
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 Gilmer County, WV awarded 286 degrees. The student population of Gilmer County, WV in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 818 male students and 815 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gilmer County, WV are White (234 and 84.2%), Black or African American (20 and 7.19%), Unknown (13 and 4.68%), and Two or More Races (6 and 2.16%).

The largest universities in Gilmer County, WV by number of degrees awarded are Glenville State University (286 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gilmer County, WV are Liberal Arts & Sciences (89 and 31.1%), General Business Administration & Management (36 and 12.6%), and Criminalistics And Criminal Science (26 and 9.09%).

The median tuition cost in Gilmer County, WV for a public four year colleges is $8,352 for in-state students and $10,080 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2016 in Gilmer County, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 69.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 43.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,633 (50.1% men and 49.9% 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 1,633 students enrolled in Gilmer County, WV, 50.1% men and 49.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,316 records, of which 54.2% were women and 45.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
36 degrees awarded
Criminalistics And Criminal Science
26 degrees awarded
General Education
17 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Gilmer County, WV was General Business Administration & Management with 36 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Glenville State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

286 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Glenville State University with 286 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 136 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Gilmer County, WV, which is 0.907 times less than the 150 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 234 degrees mean that there were 11.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 20 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 ($8,352) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,060) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($800) 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 Gilmer County, WV was $83,800 in 2024, which is 0.252 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $83,300 to $83,800, a 0.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Gilmer County, WV is 75.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gilmer County, WV have an average commute time of 32.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gilmer County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.76% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gilmer County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.14%.

Housing

Property

$83,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,991

$1,705

Median Property Taxes

±$220

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

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

Rent vs Own

75.6%

Homeownership

2024

62%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.6% of the housing units in Gilmer County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Gilmer 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.

$47,981

Median Household Income

± $4,227

2.25k

Number of Households

± 296

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.25k households in Gilmer County, WV declined from $47,981 from the previous year's value of $50,991.

The following chart displays the households in Gilmer 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 Gilmer 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 (73.5%)
Carpooled (13%)
Walked (5.17%)

In 2024, 73.5% of workers in Gilmer County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13%) and those who walked to work (5.17%).

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

32.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gilmer County, WV have a longer commute time (32.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.5% of the workforce in Gilmer County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.76% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gilmer County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.14%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gilmer County, WV (967 out of 5.09k 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 45 - 54 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Gilmer County, WV is White, followed by Other 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, 24.4% of the children was living in poverty in Gilmer County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.3%.

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 249 in Gilmer County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 101 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.3% of the population of Gilmer County, WV has health coverage, with 39.1% on employee plans, 26.2% on Medicaid, 16.8% on Medicare, 9.55% on non-group plans, and 1.68% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Gilmer County, WV see 2,459 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,459 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 7325 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2418 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,459 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Gilmer County, WV

Primary care physicians in Gilmer County, WV see an average of 2,459 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,459 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 20.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.69%

Uninsured

39.1%

Employer Coverage

26.2%

Medicaid

16.8%

Medicare

9.55%

Non-Group

1.68%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gilmer County, WV declined by 17.4% from 8.1% to 6.69%.

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