Hancock County, WV

County

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2024 Population

28,431

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.427% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.5%

2.96% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,466

0.736% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$130,800

9.36% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

12,598

0.261% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Hancock 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 Hancock County, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Hancock County, WV are John D Rockefeller IV Career Center (20 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Hancock County, WV was $130,800, and the homeownership rate was 74.5%.

Most people in Hancock County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25 minutes. The average car ownership in Hancock County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Hancock County, WV borders Columbiana County, OH, Jefferson County, OH, Beaver County, PA, Washington County, PA, and Brooke County, WV.

United States West Virginia Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

Population & Diversity

Hancock County, WV is home to a population of 28.4k people, from which 99.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.929% of Hancock County, WV residents were born outside of the country (264 people).

In 2024, there were 36.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (26.2k people) in Hancock County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 719 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 501 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.9% of Hancock County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hancock County, WV was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hancock County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
26.2k ± 127
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
719 ± 145
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
501 ± 177

1.74%

Hispanic Population

496 people

1.74% of the people in Hancock County, WV are hispanic (496 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hancock 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

0.929%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

264 people

1.03%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

294 people

As of 2024, 0.929% of Hancock County, WV residents (264 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 Hancock County, WV was 1.03%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
645 ± 168
Gulf War (1990s)
402 ± 185
Gulf War (2001-)
266 ± 135

Hancock County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.6 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Hancock County, WV employs 12.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hancock County, WV were Retail Trade (1,748 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,671 people), and Manufacturing (1,598 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($66,765), Manufacturing ($66,176), and Transportation & Warehousing ($61,406).

Employment

Occupations

12.6k

2024 Value

± 862

−0.261%

1 Year decline

± 9.71%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, WV declined at a rate of −0.261%, from 12.6k employees to 12.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hancock County, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,310 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,104 people), and Production Occupations (1,100 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hancock 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

12.6k

2024 Value

± 862

−0.261%

1 Year decline

± 9.71%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, WV declined at a rate of −0.261%, from 12.6k employees to 12.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hancock County, WV, are Retail Trade (1,748 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,671 people), and Manufacturing (1,598 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hancock County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Hancock County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,116

Median earning men ± $1,801

$33,426

Median earning women ± $4,169

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($77,969), Manufacturing ($69,931), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($63,468).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($48,977), Public Administration ($45,582), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,824).

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

43
Other Services (except Public Administration)
33
Retail Trade
29
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$155k
Manufacturing
$43.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$36.5k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Hancock County, WV awarded 20 degrees. The student population of Hancock County, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 0 male students and 14 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Hancock County, WV are White (17 and 85%) and Black or African American (3 and 15%).

The largest universities in Hancock County, WV by number of degrees awarded are John D Rockefeller IV Career Center (20 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Hancock County, WV are Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (20 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 14 students enrolled in Hancock County, WV, 0% men and 100% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training

Most Common

20 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Hancock County, WV was Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training with 20 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

John D Rockefeller IV Career Center

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

20 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was John D Rockefeller IV Career Center with 20 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Hancock County, WV, which is 0.0526 times less than the 19 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 17 degrees mean that there were 5.67 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3 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

Public, less-than 2-year ($9,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, less-than 2-year ($1,140) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, less-than 2-year ($1,100) 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 Hancock County, WV was $130,800 in 2024, which is 0.393 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $119,600 to $130,800, a 9.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Hancock County, WV is 74.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hancock County, WV have an average commute time of 25 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hancock County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.74% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.26%.

Housing

Property

$130,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,576

$9,553

Median Property Taxes

±$725

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

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

Rent vs Own

74.5%

Homeownership

2024

62.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.5% of the housing units in Hancock County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hancock 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.

$61,466

Median Household Income

± $3,968

12.8k

Number of Households

± 851

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.8k households in Hancock County, WV grew to $61,466 from the previous year's value of $61,017.

The following chart displays the households in Hancock 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 Hancock 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 (77.7%)
Worked At Home (10.1%)
Carpooled (7.49%)

In 2024, 77.7% of workers in Hancock County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.49%).

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 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hancock County, WV have a shorter commute time (25 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.6% of the workforce in Hancock County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.74% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.26%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hancock County, WV (4.06k out of 27.9k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hancock County, WV is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

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, 17.2% of the children was living in poverty in Hancock County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.3%.

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 143 in Hancock County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 65.5 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.6% of the population of Hancock County, WV has health coverage, with 40.8% on employee plans, 22% on Medicaid, 18.8% on Medicare, 10.7% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, WV see 1,686 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,686 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1174 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 541 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,686 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hancock County, WV

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, WV see an average of 1,686 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,686 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.4% under 18 years, 17.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 24% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.44%

Uninsured

40.8%

Employer Coverage

22%

Medicaid

18.8%

Medicare

10.7%

Non-Group

1.2%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hancock County, WV declined by 21.2% from 8.18% to 6.44%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Hancock 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 64.1 in Hancock County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hancock 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 45.1% in Hancock County, WV.

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