Nicholas County, WV

County

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2024 Population

24,277

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

46.1

0.217% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.4%

13.6% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$54,639

10.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$121,600

6.48% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,823

1.68% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Nicholas 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.

99.6% of the residents in Nicholas County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Nicholas County, WV was $121,600, and the homeownership rate was 82.2%.

Most people in Nicholas County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Nicholas County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Nicholas County, WV borders Braxton County, WV, Clay County, WV, Fayette County, WV, Greenbrier County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, and Webster County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Nicholas County, WV is home to a population of 24.3k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.64% of Nicholas County, WV residents were born outside of the country (399 people).

In 2024, there were 57.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (23.4k people) in Nicholas County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 407 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 232 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Nicholas County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Nicholas County, WV was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Nicholas County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
23.4k ± 34
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
407 ± 128
Other (Hispanic)
232 ± 211

1.09%

Hispanic Population

265 people

1.09% of the people in Nicholas County, WV are hispanic (265 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Nicholas 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

399 people

1.18%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

289 people

As of 2024, 1.64% of Nicholas County, WV residents (399 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 Nicholas County, WV was 1.18%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
598 ± 165
Gulf War (1990s)
279 ± 160
Gulf War (2001-)
157 ± 98

Nicholas County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Nicholas County, WV employs 8.82k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Nicholas County, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,640 people), Retail Trade (1,053 people), and Educational Services (831 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($125,357), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($97,044), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($80,859).

Employment

Occupations

8.82k

2024 Value

± 818

1.68%

1 Year growth

± 12.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nicholas County, WV grew at a rate of 1.68%, from 8.68k employees to 8.82k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nicholas County, WV, are Management Occupations (1,016 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (777 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (707 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Nicholas 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

8.82k

2024 Value

± 818

1.68%

1 Year growth

± 12.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nicholas County, WV grew at a rate of 1.68%, from 8.68k employees to 8.82k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nicholas County, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,640 people), Retail Trade (1,053 people), and Educational Services (831 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Nicholas County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Nicholas County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,278

Median earning men ± $7,723

$28,650

Median earning women ± $2,717

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($115,913), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($93,942), and Construction ($76,198).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($85,151), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($43,661), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,053).

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

50
Other Services (except Public Administration)
42
Construction
33
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

$52k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$42.1k
Retail Trade
$39k
Manufacturing

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nicholas County, WV was $121,600 in 2024, which is 0.365 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $114,200 to $121,600, a 6.48% increase. The homeownership rate in Nicholas County, WV is 82.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Nicholas County, WV have an average commute time of 33.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Nicholas County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 8.73% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nicholas County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.929%.

Housing

Property

$121,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,727

$7,782

Median Property Taxes

±$656

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

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

Rent vs Own

82.2%

Homeownership

2024

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 82.2% of the housing units in Nicholas County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 82.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Nicholas 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.

$54,639

Median Household Income

± $5,254

9.47k

Number of Households

± 811

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.47k households in Nicholas County, WV grew to $54,639 from the previous year's value of $49,280.

The following chart displays the households in Nicholas 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Nicholas 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 (79.2%)
Carpooled (13.4%)
Worked At Home (4.82%)

In 2024, 79.2% of workers in Nicholas County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.4%) and those who worked at home (4.82%).

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

33.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nicholas County, WV have a longer commute time (33.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 7.77% of the workforce in Nicholas County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 8.73% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nicholas County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.929%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

15.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nicholas County, WV (3.71k out of 24.1k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22.8% of the children was living in poverty in Nicholas County, WV. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.9%.

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 725 in Nicholas County, WV. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 110 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

94.2% of the population of Nicholas County, WV has health coverage, with 38.8% on employee plans, 23.9% on Medicaid, 20.1% on Medicare, 9.02% on non-group plans, and 2.39% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nicholas County, WV see 1,157 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,157 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1738 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 711 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,157 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nicholas County, WV

Primary care physicians in Nicholas County, WV see an average of 1,157 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,157 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.1% under 18 years, 15.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.84%

Uninsured

38.8%

Employer Coverage

23.9%

Medicaid

20.1%

Medicare

9.02%

Non-Group

2.39%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nicholas County, WV declined by 5.63% from 6.18% to 5.84%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Nicholas 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 93.1 in Nicholas County, WV.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Nicholas 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 39.4% in Nicholas County, WV.

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