Wheeling, WV

Census Place

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2024 Population

26,350

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

45.4

1.34% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

20.5%

5.79% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$48,590

0.19% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$146,500

2.81% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

11,545

2.83% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Wheeling, 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% of the residents in Wheeling, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wheeling, WV are West Virginia Northern Community College (293 degrees awarded in 2023) and Wheeling University (136 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Wheeling, WV was $146,500, and the homeownership rate was 59.8%.

Most people in Wheeling, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Wheeling, WV was 2 cars per household.

United States West Virginia Marshall County, WV Ohio County, WV Wheeling, WV-OH Belmont, Guernsey, Noble & Monroe Counties PUMA, OH Ohio, Marshall, Hancock, Brooke Counties PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Wheeling, WV is home to a population of 26.4k people, from which 99% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.15% of Wheeling, WV residents were born outside of the country (566 people).

In 2024, there were 19.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (23.4k people) in Wheeling, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.18k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 944 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99% of Wheeling, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wheeling, WV was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wheeling, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
23.4k ± 303
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.18k ± 154
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
944 ± 179

1.4%

Hispanic Population

368 people

1.4% of the people in Wheeling, WV are hispanic (368 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wheeling, 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

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

2.15%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

566 people

2.65%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

708 people

As of 2024, 2.15% of Wheeling, WV residents (566 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 Wheeling, WV was 2.65%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
375 ± 106
Gulf War (2001-)
329 ± 147
Gulf War (1990s)
128 ± 70

Wheeling, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Wheeling, WV employs 11.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wheeling, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,041 people), Retail Trade (1,492 people), and Educational Services (1,130 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($147,321), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($83,125), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,104).

Employment

Occupations

11.5k

2024 Value

± 721

2.83%

1 Year growth

± 8.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wheeling, WV grew at a rate of 2.83%, from 11.2k employees to 11.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wheeling, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,234 people), Management Occupations (1,155 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,105 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wheeling, 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

11.5k

2024 Value

± 721

2.83%

1 Year growth

± 8.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wheeling, WV grew at a rate of 2.83%, from 11.2k employees to 11.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wheeling, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,041 people), Retail Trade (1,492 people), and Educational Services (1,130 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wheeling, WV, though some of these residents may live in Wheeling, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,789

Median earning men ± $3,518

$35,115

Median earning women ± $2,444

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,434), Manufacturing ($58,889), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,485).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,000), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($47,585), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,125).

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Wheeling, WV awarded 429 degrees. The student population of Wheeling, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 916 male students and 1,095 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wheeling, WV are White (324 and 75.5%), Unknown (55 and 12.8%), Black or African American (21 and 4.9%), and Two or More Races (16 and 3.73%).

The largest universities in Wheeling, WV by number of degrees awarded are West Virginia Northern Community College (293 and 68.3%) and Wheeling University (136 and 31.7%).

The most popular majors in Wheeling, WV are General Studies (65 and 15.2%), Registered Nursing (49 and 11.4%), and Physical Therapy (37 and 8.62%).

The median tuition cost in Wheeling, WV for private four year colleges is $29,090.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Wheeling, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,011 (45.5% men and 54.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,011 students enrolled in Wheeling, WV, 45.5% men and 54.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,457 records, of which 59.7% were women and 40.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
35 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
17 degrees awarded
General Studies
65 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wheeling, WV was Registered Nursing with 35 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Wheeling, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

West Virginia Northern Community College
293 degrees awarded
Wheeling University
136 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was West Virginia Northern Community College with 293 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 147 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wheeling, WV, which is 0.521 times less than the 282 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 324 degrees mean that there were 5.89 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 55 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,090) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($824) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wheeling, WV was $146,500 in 2024, which is 0.44 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $142,500 to $146,500, a 2.81% increase. The homeownership rate in Wheeling, WV is 59.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wheeling, WV have an average commute time of 19.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wheeling, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$146,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,330

$7,546

Median Property Taxes

±$530

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

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

Rent vs Own

59.8%

Homeownership

2024

64.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 59.8% of the housing units in Wheeling, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wheeling, 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.

$48,590

Median Household Income

± $2,959

12.6k

Number of Households

± 756

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.6k households in Wheeling, WV grew to $48,590 from the previous year's value of $48,498.

The following chart displays the households in Wheeling, 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 range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wheeling, 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 (78.3%)
Carpooled (7.25%)
Worked At Home (6.92%)

In 2024, 78.3% of workers in Wheeling, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.25%) and those who worked at home (6.92%).

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

19.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wheeling, WV have a shorter commute time (19.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.04% of the workforce in Wheeling, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wheeling, WV (5.18k out of 25.3k 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 75+, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

95.3% of the population of Wheeling, WV has health coverage, with 39.7% on employee plans, 22.1% on Medicaid, 18.8% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.48% 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, 47% were men and 53% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.6% under 18 years, 18.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.69%

Uninsured

39.7%

Employer Coverage

22.1%

Medicaid

18.8%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.48%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wheeling, WV declined by 3.62% from 4.87% to 4.69%.

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

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