93.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Matoaka, WV (28 out of 30 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 35 - 44, followed by Males 45 - 54 and then Males 18 - 24.

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