McDowell County, WV

County

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2024 Population

17,943

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.7

0.229% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

34.2%

10.5% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$31,559

5.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$50,000

1.63% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

3,760

0.508% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in McDowell 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.

98.7% of the residents in McDowell County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in McDowell County, WV was $50,000, and the homeownership rate was 77.3%.

Most people in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 36 minutes. The average car ownership in McDowell County, WV was 2 cars per household.

McDowell County, WV borders Buchanan County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, Mercer County, WV, Mingo County, WV, and Wyoming County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

McDowell County, WV is home to a population of 17.9k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.64% of McDowell County, WV residents were born outside of the country (295 people).

In 2024, there were 9.84 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.5k people) in McDowell County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.58k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 420 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of McDowell County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in McDowell County, WV was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in McDowell County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.5k ± 17
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.58k ± 161
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
420 ± 145

2.08%

Hispanic Population

373 people

2.08% of the people in McDowell County, WV are hispanic (373 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in McDowell 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

1.64%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

295 people

1.83%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

337 people

As of 2024, 1.64% of McDowell County, WV residents (295 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 McDowell County, WV was 1.83%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
309 ± 155
Gulf War (1990s)
138 ± 114
Gulf War (2001-)
61 ± 53

McDowell County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.24 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of McDowell County, WV employs 3.76k people. In 2024, the largest industries in McDowell County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (823 people), Public Administration (500 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (438 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,625), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($53,750), and Finance & Insurance ($50,707).

Employment

Occupations

3.76k

2024 Value

± 508

0.508%

1 Year growth

± 19%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDowell County, WV grew at a rate of 0.508%, from 3.74k employees to 3.76k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in McDowell County, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (562 people), Material Moving Occupations (320 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (319 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of McDowell 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

3.76k

2024 Value

± 508

0.508%

1 Year growth

± 19%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDowell County, WV grew at a rate of 0.508%, from 3.74k employees to 3.76k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in McDowell County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (823 people), Public Administration (500 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (438 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of McDowell County, WV, though some of these residents may live in McDowell County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,235

Median earning men ± $5,600

$30,305

Median earning women ± $4,971

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,273), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($42,625), and Manufacturing ($41,982).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,707), Public Administration ($45,917), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($40,893).

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

20
Other Services (except Public Administration)
16
Retail Trade
14
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

$25.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$23.7k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$10.1k
Transportation and Warehousing

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in McDowell County, WV was $50,000 in 2024, which is 0.15 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $49,200 to $50,000, a 1.63% increase. The homeownership rate in McDowell County, WV is 77.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in McDowell County, WV have an average commute time of 36 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in McDowell County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.98% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDowell County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.323%.

Housing

Property

$50,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,822

$4,997

Median Property Taxes

±$450

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

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

Rent vs Own

77.3%

Homeownership

2024

63.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.3% of the housing units in McDowell 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 McDowell 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.

$31,559

Median Household Income

± $2,515

6.47k

Number of Households

± 640

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.47k households in McDowell County, WV grew to $31,559 from the previous year's value of $29,980.

The following chart displays the households in McDowell 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for McDowell 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 (83.2%)
Carpooled (9.44%)
Worked At Home (4.46%)

In 2024, 83.2% of workers in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.44%) and those who worked at home (4.46%).

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

36 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in McDowell County, WV have a longer commute time (36 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.95% of the workforce in McDowell County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.98% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDowell County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.323%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

34.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in McDowell County, WV (5.4k out of 15.8k 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 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in McDowell 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 2025, 36.9% of the children was living in poverty in McDowell County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 12.4%.

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 428 in McDowell County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 101 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.2% of the population of McDowell County, WV has health coverage, with 15% on employee plans, 46.9% on Medicaid, 20% on Medicare, 7.66% on non-group plans, and 1.58% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see 3,673 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,673 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 5950 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2180 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,673 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McDowell County, WV

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see an average of 3,673 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,673 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.6% under 18 years, 16.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 24% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.85%

Uninsured

15%

Employer Coverage

46.9%

Medicaid

20%

Medicare

7.66%

Non-Group

1.58%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in McDowell County, WV grew by 15.3% from 7.68% to 8.85%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in McDowell 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 83.2 in McDowell County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDowell 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 44.3% in McDowell County, WV.

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