West Union, WV

Census Place

2024 Population

1,039

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.7

7.54% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

18.9%

38.5% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$60,417

13.6% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$98,600

Population & Diversity

West Union, WV is home to a population of 1.04k people, from which 98.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.12% of West Union, WV residents were born outside of the country (22 people).

In 2024, there were 16.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (943 people) in West Union, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 58 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 22 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of West Union, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Union, WV was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Union, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
943 ± 312
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
58 ± 89
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
22 ± 41

0.481%

Hispanic Population

5 people

0.481% of the people in West Union, WV are hispanic (5 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in West Union, 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

2.12%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

22 people

2.66%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

25 people

As of 2024, 2.12% of West Union, WV residents (22 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 West Union, WV was 2.66%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
23 ± 27
Korea
13 ± 20
Vietnam
12 ± 21

West Union, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.77 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of West Union, WV employs 538 people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Union, WV were Utilities (133 people), Finance & Insurance (73 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (65 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,721), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($90,721), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($65,263).

Employment

Occupations

538

2024 Value

± 203

0.938%

1 Year growth

± 52.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Union, WV grew at a rate of 0.938%, from 533 employees to 538 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Union, WV, are Production Occupations (99 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (81 people), and Legal Occupations (70 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Union, 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

538

2024 Value

± 203

0.938%

1 Year growth

± 52.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Union, WV grew at a rate of 0.938%, from 533 employees to 538 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Union, WV, are Utilities (133 people), Finance & Insurance (73 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (65 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Union, WV, though some of these residents may live in West Union, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,029

Median earning men ± $3,438

$43,179

Median earning women ± $6,962

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,721), Construction ($47,917), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,214).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($44,286), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,061), and Retail Trade ($19,375).

Housing & Living

The median property value in West Union, WV was $98,600 in 2024, which is 0.296 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $108,300 to $98,600, a 8.96% decrease. The homeownership rate in West Union, WV is 80.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Union, WV have an average commute time of 26.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Union, WV is higher than the national average, with an average of 5 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$98,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$55,229

$290

Median Property Taxes

±$121

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

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

Rent vs Own

80.3%

Homeownership

2024

50%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 80.3% of the housing units in West Union, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West Union, 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.

$60,417

Median Household Income

± $37,321

361

Number of Households

± 124

In 2024, the median household income of the 361 households in West Union, WV declined from $60,417 from the previous year's value of $69,911.

The following chart displays the households in West Union, 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West Union, 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 (76.2%)
Worked At Home (16.2%)
Carpooled (6.13%)

In 2024, 76.2% of workers in West Union, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.2%) and those who carpooled to work (6.13%).

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

26.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Union, WV have a longer commute time (26.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.887% of the workforce in West Union, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

5 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in West Union, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Union, WV have 5 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Union, WV (196 out of 1.04k 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 Females 45 - 54 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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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