Morgantown, WV

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

141,323

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

35.1

0.286% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

18.3%

3.64% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$64,640

3.6% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$233,000

2.73% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

69,128

1.56% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Morgantown, 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.

97.6% of the residents in Morgantown, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Morgantown, WV are West Virginia University (6,428 degrees awarded in 2023), West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown (303 degrees), and Morgantown Beauty College Inc (72 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Morgantown, WV was $233,000, and the homeownership rate was 63.1%.

Most people in Morgantown, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Morgantown, WV was 2 cars per household.

Morgantown, WV borders Clarksburg, WV, Fairmont, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Morgantown, WV is home to a population of 141k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.44% of Morgantown, WV residents were born outside of the country (6.27k people).

In 2024, there were 22 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (122k people) in Morgantown, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.54k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.08k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

97.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Morgantown, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Morgantown, WV was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Morgantown, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
122k ± 579
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.54k ± 286
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.08k ± 448

2.87%

Hispanic Population

4.06k people

2.87% of the people in Morgantown, WV are hispanic (4.06k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Morgantown, WV as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA 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

4.44%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.27k people

4.21%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.93k people

As of 2024, 4.44% of Morgantown, WV residents (6.27k 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 Morgantown, WV was 4.21%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,858 ± 319
Vietnam
1,757 ± 314
Gulf War (1990s)
1,113 ± 239

Morgantown, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.06 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Morgantown, WV employs 69.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Morgantown, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (13,848 people), Educational Services (11,476 people), and Retail Trade (7,467 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($95,288), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($88,068), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($86,458).

Employment

Occupations

69.1k

2024 Value

± 2,126

1.56%

1 Year growth

± 4.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Morgantown, WV grew at a rate of 1.56%, from 68.1k employees to 69.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Morgantown, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,987 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,687 people), and Management Occupations (6,323 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Morgantown, 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

69.1k

2024 Value

± 2,126

1.56%

1 Year growth

± 4.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Morgantown, WV grew at a rate of 1.56%, from 68.1k employees to 69.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Morgantown, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (13,848 people), Educational Services (11,476 people), and Retail Trade (7,467 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Morgantown, WV, though some of these residents may live in Morgantown, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,615

Median earning men ± $2,175

$36,828

Median earning women ± $1,926

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($82,760), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,288), and Public Administration ($76,806).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($90,345), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($67,574), and Manufacturing ($57,289).

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

198
Construction
178
Other Services (except Public Administration)
158
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

$1.36M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$229k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$214k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Morgantown, WV awarded 6,904 degrees. The student population of Morgantown, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 11,503 male students and 13,480 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Morgantown, WV are White (5,659 and 86.9%), Hispanic or Latino (228 and 3.5%), Black or African American (209 and 3.21%), and Two or More Races (204 and 3.13%).

The largest universities in Morgantown, WV by number of degrees awarded are West Virginia University (6,428 and 93.1%), West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown (303 and 4.39%), and Morgantown Beauty College Inc (72 and 1.04%).

The most popular majors in Morgantown, WV are Registered Nursing (292 and 4.23%), General Business (259 and 3.75%), and General Health & Physical Education (194 and 2.81%).

The median tuition cost in Morgantown, WV for a public four year colleges is $9,648 for in-state students and $27,360 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Morgantown, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 24,983 (46% men and 54% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 24,983 students enrolled in Morgantown, WV, 46% men and 54% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 19,932 records, of which 54.8% were women and 45.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Exercise Physiology
162 degrees awarded
General Health & Physical Education
194 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
186 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Morgantown, WV was Exercise Physiology with 162 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

West Virginia University
6,428 degrees awarded
West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown
303 degrees awarded
Morgantown Beauty College Inc
72 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was West Virginia University with 6,428 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,033 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Morgantown, WV, which is 0.784 times less than the 3,871 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 5,659 degrees mean that there were 24.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 228 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

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($12,767) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,546) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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 Morgantown, WV was $233,000 in 2024, which is 0.7 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $226,800 to $233,000, a 2.73% increase. The homeownership rate in Morgantown, WV is 63.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Morgantown, WV have an average commute time of 23.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Morgantown, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$233,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,160

$36,256

Median Property Taxes

±$1,390

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 Morgantown, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

63.1%

Homeownership

2024

63.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.1% of the housing units in Morgantown, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Morgantown, 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.

$64,640

Median Household Income

± $2,584

57.4k

Number of Households

± 1,821

In 2024, the median household income of the 57.4k households in Morgantown, WV grew to $64,640 from the previous year's value of $62,394.

The following chart displays the households in Morgantown, 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 Morgantown, 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 (72.3%)
Worked At Home (12.5%)
Carpooled (8.87%)

In 2024, 72.3% of workers in Morgantown, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.87%).

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

23.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Morgantown, WV have a shorter commute time (23.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.96% of the workforce in Morgantown, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Morgantown, WV (24k out of 131k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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

94.1% of the population of Morgantown, WV has health coverage, with 53.2% on employee plans, 14.8% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.49% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see 1,319 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,319 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1705 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 506 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,319 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in West Virginia

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see an average of 1,319 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,319 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.9% under 18 years, 30.5% between 18 and 34 years, 34.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.88%

Uninsured

53.2%

Employer Coverage

14.8%

Medicaid

11.5%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.49%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Morgantown, WV grew by 4.49% from 5.62% to 5.88%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Morgantown, WV changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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