Sophia, WV

Census Place

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2024 Population
1,528
US Senator
Shelley Moore Capito
Republican Party
US Senator
Jim Justice
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
45.4
0.439% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
38%
48.4% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$36,080
4.59% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$116,900
3.54% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
510
3.04% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Sophia, 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.

93.7% of the residents in Sophia, WV are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Sophia, WV was $116,900, and the homeownership rate was 58.1%.

Most people in Sophia, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27 minutes. The average car ownership in Sophia, WV was 2 cars per household.

United StatesWest VirginiaRaleigh County, WVBeckley, WVRaleigh, Fayette Counties PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Sophia, WV is home to a population of 1.53k people, from which 93.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.35% of Sophia, WV residents were born outside of the country (97 people).

In 2024, there were 10.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.39k people) in Sophia, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 133 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.7%
2024 Citizenship
97.3%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.7% of Sophia, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sophia, WV was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sophia, WV
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.39k ± 492
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    133 ± 200
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    4 ± 9

In 2024, there were 10.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.39k people) in Sophia, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 133 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. India
    2,277 ± 1,171 people
  2. Mexico
    2,211 ± 1,154 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

6.35%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
97 people
2.66%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
44 people

As of 2024, 6.35% of Sophia, WV residents (97 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 Sophia, WV was 2.66%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    12 ± 26
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    4 ± 20

Sophia, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Sophia, WV employs 510 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sophia, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (135 people), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing (77 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (57 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($140,150), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($140,150), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($80,348).

Employment

Occupations

510
2024 Value
± 213
−3.04%
1 Year decline
± 57.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sophia, WV declined at a rate of −3.04%, from 526 employees to 510 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sophia, WV, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (62 people), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (61 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (61 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sophia, WV.

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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

510
2024 Value
± 213
−3.04%
1 Year decline
± 57.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sophia, WV declined at a rate of −3.04%, from 526 employees to 510 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sophia, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (135 people), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing (77 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (57 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sophia, WV, though some of these residents may live in Sophia, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$50,515
Median earning men ± $38,865
$16,744
Median earning women ± $29,961

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($140,150) and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($80,492).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,577).

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Sophia, WV was $116,900 in 2024, which is 0.351 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $112,900 to $116,900, a 3.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Sophia, WV is 58.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sophia, WV have an average commute time of 27 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sophia, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$116,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$22,165
$404
Median Property Taxes
±$157

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

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

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Rent vs Own

58.1%
Homeownership
2024
31.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 58.1% of the housing units in Sophia, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.8%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$36,080
Median Household Income
± $4,884
695
Number of Households
± 230

In 2024, the median household income of the 695 households in Sophia, WV grew to $36,080 from the previous year's value of $34,498.

The following chart displays the households in Sophia, 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 $35k - $40k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sophia, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (91.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (8.57%)

In 2024, 91.4% of workers in Sophia, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.57%) and those who carpooled to work (0%).

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.

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Commute Time

27 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sophia, WV have a longer commute time (27 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.27% of the workforce in Sophia, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

38% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sophia, WV (578 out of 1.52k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males < 5 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sophia, WV is White, followed by Black and Native American.

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.

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Health

96.9% of the population of Sophia, WV has health coverage, with 25.7% on employee plans, 19.5% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 38.9% on non-group plans, and 2.81% 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, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.3% under 18 years, 23% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

3.08%
Uninsured
25.7%
Employer Coverage
19.5%
Medicaid
10.1%
Medicare
38.9%
Non-Group
2.81%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sophia, WV declined by 15.2% from 3.63% to 3.08%.

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

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