Smithers, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

712

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

25.7%

28.4% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$45,417

40.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$76,500

5.08% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

297

Population & Diversity

Smithers, WV is home to a population of 712 people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.81% of Smithers, WV residents were born outside of the country (20 people).

In 2024, there were 6.54 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (549 people) in Smithers, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 84 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Hispanic) and 34 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Smithers, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Smithers, WV was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been maintaining.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Smithers, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
549 ± 215
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Hispanic)
84 ± 147
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
34 ± 26

14.2%

Hispanic Population

101 people

14.2% of the people in Smithers, WV are hispanic (101 people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,614 ± 1,254 people
Philippines
2,231 ± 1,159 people
India
2,211 ± 1,154 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,614 West Virginia residents, followed by Philippines with 2,231 and India with 2,211.

Foreign-Born Population

2.81%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

20 people

1.35%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

12 people

As of 2024, 2.81% of Smithers, WV residents (20 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 Smithers, WV was 1.35%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Korea
16 ± 30
Vietnam
8 ± 20

Smithers, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Korea, 2 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Smithers, WV employs 297 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Smithers, WV were Public Administration (124 people), Construction (39 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (36 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,688), Manufacturing ($47,083), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($35,000).

Employment

Occupations

297

2024 Value

± 181

17.9%

1 Year growth

± 86.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smithers, WV grew at a rate of 17.9%, from 252 employees to 297 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Smithers, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (97 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (42 people), and Management Occupations (38 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Smithers, 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

297

2024 Value

± 181

17.9%

1 Year growth

± 86.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smithers, WV grew at a rate of 17.9%, from 252 employees to 297 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Smithers, WV, are Public Administration (124 people), Construction (39 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (36 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Smithers, WV, though some of these residents may live in Smithers, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$8,173

Median earning men ± $32,901

$33,549

Median earning women ± $5,604

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($47,083).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($35,000) and Public Administration ($34,151).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Smithers, WV was $76,500 in 2024, which is 0.23 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $72,800 to $76,500, a 5.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Smithers, WV is 75.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Smithers, WV have an average commute time of 16.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Smithers, WV is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$76,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,865

$236

Median Property Taxes

±$96

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

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

Rent vs Own

75.9%

Homeownership

2024

58.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.9% of the housing units in Smithers, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Smithers, 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.

$45,417

Median Household Income

± $30,463

311

Number of Households

± 101

In 2024, the median household income of the 311 households in Smithers, WV grew to $45,417 from the previous year's value of $32,237.

The following chart displays the households in Smithers, 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 - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Smithers, WV is from West Virginia.

0.443

2024 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0426% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (47.1%)
Worked At Home (37.4%)
Walked (10.8%)

In 2024, 47.1% of workers in Smithers, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (37.4%) and those who walked to work (10.8%).

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

16.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Smithers, WV have a shorter commute time (16.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Smithers, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Smithers, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Smithers, WV have 3 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Smithers, WV (183 out of 712 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 65 - 74, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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