Keyser, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

4,857

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.3

3.53% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

31.8%

16.2% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$46,955

2.16% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$143,000

Population & Diversity

Keyser, WV is home to a population of 4.86k people, from which 99.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.494% of Keyser, WV residents were born outside of the country (24 people).

In 2024, there were 19.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.23k people) in Keyser, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 220 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 197 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Keyser, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Keyser, WV was 99.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Keyser, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.23k ± 153
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
220 ± 111
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
197 ± 101

0.494%

Hispanic Population

24 people

0.494% of the people in Keyser, WV are hispanic (24 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Keyser, 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

0.494%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

24 people

0.0616%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3 people

As of 2024, 0.494% of Keyser, WV residents (24 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 Keyser, WV was 0.0616%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
109 ± 82
Gulf War (2001-)
15 ± 30

Keyser, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 7.27 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Keyser, WV employs 1.65k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Keyser, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (336 people), Retail Trade (275 people), and Manufacturing (169 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,101), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,068), and Educational Services ($48,702).

Employment

Occupations

1.65k

2024 Value

± 359

−19.5%

1 Year decline

± 40%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Keyser, WV declined at a rate of −19.5%, from 2.05k employees to 1.65k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Keyser, WV, are Production Occupations (181 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (145 people), and Healthcare Support Occupations (141 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Keyser, 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

1.65k

2024 Value

± 359

−19.5%

1 Year decline

± 40%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Keyser, WV declined at a rate of −19.5%, from 2.05k employees to 1.65k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Keyser, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (336 people), Retail Trade (275 people), and Manufacturing (169 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Keyser, WV, though some of these residents may live in Keyser, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,156

Median earning men ± $12,836

$38,419

Median earning women ± $9,777

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($46,150), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($44,745), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($37,188).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,743), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,521), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,194).

Education

The student population of Keyser, WV in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 413 male students and 678 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Keyser, WV are White (291 and 87.4%), Two or More Races (22 and 6.61%), Hispanic or Latino (8 and 2.4%), and Black or African American (6 and 1.8%).

The largest universities in Keyser, WV by number of degrees awarded are Potomac State College of West Virginia University (322 and 95.8%) and Mineral County Vocational Technical Center (14 and 4.17%).

The most popular majors in Keyser, WV are Liberal Arts & Sciences (114 and 33.9%), Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (31 and 9.23%), and General Agriculture (29 and 8.63%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $5,280 for in-state students and $13,200 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 1,091 students enrolled in Keyser, WV, 37.9% men and 62.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 921 records, of which 63.7% were women and 36.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
113 degrees awarded
General Agriculture
29 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
26 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Keyser, WV was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 113 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Potomac State College of West Virginia University
322 degrees awarded
Mineral County Vocational Technical Center
14 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Potomac State College of West Virginia University with 322 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 147 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Keyser, WV, which is 0.778 times less than the 189 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 291 degrees mean that there were 13.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, with 22 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, 4-year or above ($5,280) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($950) 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 Keyser, WV was $143,000 in 2024, which is 0.43 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $141,400 to $143,000, a 1.13% increase. The homeownership rate in Keyser, WV is 51.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Keyser, WV have an average commute time of 17.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Keyser, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$143,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,667

$1,063

Median Property Taxes

±$304

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

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

Rent vs Own

51.4%

Homeownership

2024

72.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.4% of the housing units in Keyser, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 50%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Keyser, 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.

$46,955

Median Household Income

± $10,365

2.07k

Number of Households

± 417

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.07k households in Keyser, WV declined from $46,955 from the previous year's value of $47,991.

The following chart displays the households in Keyser, 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 $10k - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Keyser, 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 (67.5%)
Worked At Home (11.4%)
Carpooled (7.7%)

In 2024, 67.5% of workers in Keyser, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.4%) and those who carpooled to work (7.7%).

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

17.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Keyser, WV have a shorter commute time (17.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.16% of the workforce in Keyser, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Keyser, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Keyser, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Keyser, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

31.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Keyser, WV (1.4k out of 4.41k 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 6 - 11, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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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