Ritchie County, WV

County

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2023 Population

8,372

1.59% 1-year decline

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

47.2

1.29% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

21.7%

6.71% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$50,256

2.62% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$107,800

2.47% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

2,943

1.98% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Ritchie County, WV had a population of 8.37k people with a median age of 47.2 and a median household income of $50,256. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Ritchie County, WV declined from 8,507 to 8,372, a −1.59% decrease and its median household income grew from $48,973 to $50,256, a 2.62% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ritchie County, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (96.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.88%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.896%), White (Hispanic) (0.454%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.119%).

None of the households in Ritchie 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.

99.4% of the residents in Ritchie County, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Ritchie County, WV was $107,800, and the homeownership rate was 84.3%.

Most people in Ritchie County, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Ritchie County, WV was 2 cars per household.

Ritchie County, WV borders Calhoun County, WV, Doddridge County, WV, Gilmer County, WV, Pleasants County, WV, Tyler County, WV, Wirt County, WV, and Wood County, WV.

United States West Virginia

Population & Diversity

Ritchie County, WV is home to a population of 8.37k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.1% of Ritchie County, WV residents were born outside of the country (92 people).

In 2023, there were 51.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.09k people) in Ritchie County, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 157 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 75 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

99.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.4% of Ritchie County, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Ritchie County, WV was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ritchie County, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.09k ± 11
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
157 ± 67.9
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
75 ± 60

0.454%

Hispanic Population

38 people

0.454% of the people in Ritchie County, WV are hispanic (38 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Ritchie 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

Mexico
2,064 ± 1,115 people
Germany
1,923 ± 1,076 people
China
1,815 ± 1,045 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,064 West Virginia residents, followed by Germany with 1,923 and China with 1,815.

Foreign-Born Population

1.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

92 people

1.07%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

91 people

As of 2023, 1.1% of Ritchie County, WV residents (92 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ritchie County, WV was 1.07%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
189 ± 81
Gulf War (2001-)
99 ± 62
Gulf War (1990s)
94 ± 49

Ritchie County, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.91 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ritchie County, WV employs 2.94k people. The largest industries in Ritchie County, WV are Public Administration (414 people), Manufacturing (349 people), and Retail Trade (344 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($85,625), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($75,000), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($70,667).

Males in West Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,743. The income inequality in West Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.449, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.94k

2023 Value

± 312

1.98%

1 Year growth

± 14.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ritchie County, WV grew at a rate of 1.98%, from 2.89k employees to 2.94k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ritchie County, WV, are Production Occupations (379 people), Sales & Related Occupations (336 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (311 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ritchie County, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

2.94k

2023 Value

± 312

1.98%

1 Year growth

± 14.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ritchie County, WV grew at a rate of 1.98%, from 2.89k employees to 2.94k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ritchie County, WV, are Public Administration (414 people), Manufacturing (349 people), and Retail Trade (344 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ritchie County, WV, though some of these residents may live in Ritchie County, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,068

Median earning men ± $11,525

$28,601

Median earning women ± $5,822

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,063), Manufacturing ($70,000), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($69,333).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($55,096), Public Administration ($49,688), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($45,536).

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

14
Other Services (except Public Administration)
12
Retail Trade
12
Construction

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$41.1k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$37.9k
Manufacturing
$10.1k
Wholesale Trade

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

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 2022, 0.661% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.559% 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 2022 were High School or Equivalent (549k), Some college (279k), and Secondary Education (210k).

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 Ritchie County, WV was $107,800 in 2023, which is 0.355 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $105,200 to $107,800, a 2.47% increase. The homeownership rate in Ritchie County, WV is 84.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Ritchie County, WV have an average commute time of 31.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ritchie County, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Ritchie County, WV is $50,256. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Ritchie County, WV was Census Tract 9623 with a value of $60,982, followed by Census Tract 9625 and Census Tract 9624, with respective values of $46,182 and $37,049.

In 2023, 7.28% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ritchie County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.684%.

Housing

Property

$107,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,148

$2,803

Median Property Taxes

±$283

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

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

Rent vs Own

84.3%

Homeownership

2023

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 84.3% of the housing units in Ritchie County, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 83.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ritchie 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 9623
Census Tract 9625
Census Tract 9624

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ritchie County, WV was Census Tract 9623 with a value of $60,982, followed by Census Tract 9625 and Census Tract 9624, with respective values of $46,182 and $37,049.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Ritchie 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.

$50,256

Median Household Income

± $5,151

3.33k

Number of Households

± 304

In 2023, the median household income of the 3.33k households in Ritchie County, WV grew to $50,256 from the previous year's value of $48,973.

The following chart displays the households in Ritchie 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 Ritchie County, WV is from West Virginia.

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.447

2021 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less 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 2023

Drove Alone (78.7%)
Carpooled (10.8%)
Worked At Home (7.92%)

In 2023, 78.7% of workers in Ritchie County, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.8%) and those who worked at home (7.92%).

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

31.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ritchie County, WV have a longer commute time (31.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.61% of the workforce in Ritchie County, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 7.28% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ritchie County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.684%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

21.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ritchie County, WV (1.79k out of 8.23k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ritchie County, WV is White, followed by Asian 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 2023, 25.6% of the children was living in poverty in Ritchie County, WV. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.7%.

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.

Health

93% of the population of Ritchie County, WV has health coverage, with 34% on employee plans, 25.4% on Medicaid, 18.9% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 3.65% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ritchie County, WV see 4750 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.565% decrease from the previous year (4777 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 8383 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2096 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,750 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ritchie County, WV

Primary care physicians in Ritchie County, WV see an average of 4,750 patients per year. This represents a 0.565% decrease from the previous year (4,777 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.4% under 18 years, 15.7% between 18 and 34 years, 40.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.99%

Uninsured

34%

Employer Coverage

25.4%

Medicaid

18.9%

Medicare

11.1%

Non-Group

3.65%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ritchie County, WV declined by 1.49% from 7.09% to 6.99%.

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