McDowell County, WV

County

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2020 Population

18,083

3.1% 1-year decline

US Senator

Joe Manchin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

2020 Median Age

45.5

1.11% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

32.8%

1.02% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$26,072

5.82% 1-year decline

2020 Median Property Value

$39,500

12.9% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, McDowell County, WV had a population of 18.1k people with a median age of 45.5 and a median household income of $26,072. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of McDowell County, WV declined from 18,661 to 18,083, a −3.1% decrease and its median household income declined from $27,682 to $26,072, a −5.82% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in McDowell County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (88.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.94%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.71%), White (Hispanic) (0.747%), and Other (Hispanic) (0.603%).

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.

99.3% of the residents in McDowell County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2020, the median property value in McDowell County, WV was $39,500, and the homeownership rate was 78%.

Most people in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.5 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.

Population & Diversity

McDowell County, WV is home to a population of 18.1k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2020, 0.885% of McDowell County, WV residents were born outside of the country (160 people).

In 2020, there were 11.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.1k people) in McDowell County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.44k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 309 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.3%

2020 Citizenship

99.2%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 99.3% of McDowell County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in McDowell County, WV was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
16.1k ± 19
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.44k ± 114
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
309 ± 97.9

1.36%

Hispanic Population

246 people

1.36% of the people in McDowell County, WV are hispanic (246 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in McDowell County, WV as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

0.885%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

160 people

0.954%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

178 people

As of 2020, 0.885% of McDowell County, WV residents (160 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in McDowell County, WV was 0.954%, 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
414 ± 132
Korea
76 ± 44
Gulf War (1990s)
41 ± 36

McDowell County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.45 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of McDowell County, WV employs 3.61k people. The largest industries in McDowell County, WV are Health Care & Social Assistance (779 people), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (561 people), and Educational Services (436 people), and the highest paying industries are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,345), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($68,211), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($68,211).

Employment

Occupations

3.61k

2020 Value

± 449

−4.44%

1 Year decline

± 17.1%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in McDowell County, WV declined at a rate of −4.44%, from 3.78k employees to 3.61k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in McDowell County, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (449 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (416 people), and Transportation Occupations (363 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.61k

2020 Value

± 449

−4.44%

1 Year decline

± 17.1%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in McDowell County, WV declined at a rate of −4.44%, from 3.78k employees to 3.61k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in McDowell County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (779 people), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (561 people), and Educational Services (436 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

$34,662

Median earning men ± $6,731

$24,527

Median earning women ± $3,898

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($68,211), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,750), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($51,406).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($40,568), Public Administration ($37,063), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($28,875).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in West Virginia.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

91
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
58
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
58
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from West Virginia to other states, or from other states to West Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

Coal-n.e.c.
$8.42B
Coal
$6.05B
Plastics/rubber
$5.79B

In 2020, the top outbound West Virginia product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $8.42B, followed by Coal ($6.05B) and Plastics/rubber ($5.79B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound West Virginia products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for West Virginia.

$65.6B

2020 Value in West Virginia

$114B

Projected 2050 Value in West Virginia

74.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound West Virginia trade was $65.6B. This is expected to increase 74.3% to $114B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound West Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from West Virginia to other states, or from other states to West Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

Ohio
$9.85B
Pennsylvania
$5.83B
Virginia
$3.98B

In 2020, the top outbound West Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Ohio with $9.85B, followed by Pennsylvania with $5.83B and Virginia and $3.98B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that West Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in McDowell County, WV went to Donald J. Trump with 78.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.444%).

Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are the senators currently representing the state of West Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

West Virginia is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (78.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.4%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.444%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in McDowell County, WV for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senators Elections

US Senators from West Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Joe Manchin

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on November 15, 2010
Elected to the seat to succeed Carte Goodwin, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Robert Byrd.

Shelley Moore Capito

Senator from West Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are the senators currently representing West Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in West Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives Elections

US Representatives from West Virginia

West Virginia is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for West Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Measure

In 2020, 0.56% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.534% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (574k), Some college (299k), and Secondary Education (224k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in McDowell County, WV was $39,500 in 2020, which is 0.172 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $35,000 to $39,500, a 12.9% increase. The homeownership rate in McDowell County, WV is 78%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in McDowell County, WV have an average commute time of 32.5 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.

Median household income in McDowell County, WV is $26,072. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in McDowell County, WV was Census Tract 9540 with a value of $34,688, followed by Census Tract 9545.03 and Census Tract 9542, with respective values of $30,898 and $29,650.

Property

$39,500

Median Property Value 2020

±$5,933

$5,797

Median Property Taxes

±$490

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 None 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

78%

Homeownership

2020

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 78% of the housing units in McDowell County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in McDowell County, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9540
Census Tract 9545.03
Census Tract 9542

In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in McDowell County, WV was Census Tract 9540 with a value of $34,688, followed by Census Tract 9545.03 and Census Tract 9542, with respective values of $30,898 and $29,650.

The following map shows all of the tracts in McDowell County, WV colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$26,072

Median Household Income

± $3,076

7.43k

Number of Households

± 635

In 2020, the median household income of the 7.43k households in McDowell County, WV declined from $26,072 from the previous year's value of $27,682.

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.

0.441

2020 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.444

2019 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2020, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2020

Drove Alone (87%)
Carpooled (7.01%)
Worked At Home (3.79%)

In 2020, 87% of workers in McDowell County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.01%) and those who worked at home (3.79%).

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

32.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in McDowell County, WV have a longer commute time (32.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 5.41% 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

Poverty & Diversity

32.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in McDowell County, WV (5.48k out of 16.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 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.

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.

Health

95.1% of the population of McDowell County, WV has health coverage, with 22.3% on employee plans, 43.4% on Medicaid, 21.7% on Medicare, 5.31% on non-group plans, and 2.39% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in West Virginia was $9,462 in 2014. This is a 5.5% increase from the previous year ($8,969).

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see 3645 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.25% decrease from the previous year (3691 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4406 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2937 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.6% were men and 53.4% were women.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for West Virginia. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in West Virginia, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,645 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McDowell County, WV

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, WV see an average of 3,645 patients per year. This represents a 1.25% decrease from the previous year (3,691 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.

Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of West Virginia across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.8% under 18 years, 14.7% between 18 and 34 years, 40% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.6% were men and 53.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.93%

Uninsured

22.3%

Employer Coverage

43.4%

Medicaid

21.7%

Medicare

5.31%

Non-Group

2.39%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in McDowell County, WV declined by 17.8% from 6% to 4.93%.

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 2021, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 86.3 in McDowell County, WV.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2021, 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 44.9% in McDowell County, WV.

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

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