USA.com / West Virginia / Population and Races
West Virginia Population and Races
Hot West Virginia Rankings
As of 2010-2014, the total population of West Virginia is 1,853,881, which is 2.52% more than it was in 2000. The population growth rate is much lower than the national average rate of 11.61%. The West Virginia population density is 76.51 people per square mile, which is about the same as the national average density of 82.73 people per square mile. The most prevalent race in West Virginia is white, which represent 93.63% of the total population. The average West Virginia education level is lower than the national average.
Population in 2010-2014: 1,853,881. #38
Population Growth Since 2000, #48
| West Virginia | 2.52% |
| U.S. | 11.61% |
Population Density, #30
| West Virginia | 76.51 per square mile |
| U.S. | 82.73 per square mile |
Population by Races
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*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical race data.
Population by First Ancestry
1,319,517 (71.18%) out of the total population of 1,853,881 reported first ancestry.
| West Virginia | % of the Total Population | U.S. | |
| Arab | 6,441 | 0.35%, see rank | 0.56% |
| Czech | 3,685 | 0.20%, see rank | 0.47% |
| Danish | 1,243 | 0.07%, see rank | 0.42% |
| Dutch | 36,759 | 1.98%, see rank | 1.40% |
| English | 211,073 | 11.39%, see rank | 8.02% |
| French | 31,964 | 1.72%, see rank | 3.34% |
| German | 331,629 | 17.89%, see rank | 15.03% |
| Greek | 5,201 | 0.28%, see rank | 0.41% |
| Hungarian | 9,008 | 0.49%, see rank | 0.46% |
| Irish | 270,114 | 14.57%, see rank | 10.80% |
| Italian | 84,893 | 4.58%, see rank | 5.52% |
| Norwegian | 4,242 | 0.23%, see rank | 1.42% |
| Polish | 36,394 | 1.96%, see rank | 3.01% |
| Portuguese | 1,244 | 0.07%, see rank | 0.44% |
| Russian | 6,654 | 0.36%, see rank | 0.92% |
| Scotch-Irish | 38,130 | 2.06%, see rank | 0.99% |
| Scottish | 39,211 | 2.12%, see rank | 1.72% |
| Subsaharan African | 4,559 | 0.25%, see rank | 0.95% |
| Swedish | 7,238 | 0.39%, see rank | 1.27% |
| Swiss | 3,952 | 0.21%, see rank | 0.30% |
| Ukrainian | 2,013 | 0.11%, see rank | 0.31% |
| American | 241,543 | 13.03%, see rank | 7.12% |
| Welsh | 13,771 | 0.74%, see rank | 0.57% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical first ancestry data.
Population by Gender
Male: 914,580 (49.33%, see rank)
Females: 939,301 (50.67%, see rank)
| West Virginia | Male: 49.33% Female: 50.67% |
| U.S. | Male: 49.19% Female: 50.81% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical gender data.
Population by Age
Median Age (see rank)| West Virginia | 41.60 years old |
| U.S. | 37.40 years old |
Median Age, Male (see rank)
| West Virginia | 40.40 years old |
| U.S. | 36.10 years old |
Median Age, Female (see rank)
| West Virginia | 42.90 years old |
| U.S. | 38.80 years old |
| West Virginia | % of the Total Population | U.S. | |
| Under 5 years | 103,044 | 5.56%, see rank | 6.36% |
| 5 to 9 years | 105,796 | 5.71%, see rank | 6.51% |
| 10 to 14 years | 108,408 | 5.85%, see rank | 6.59% |
| 15 to 19 years | 114,769 | 6.19%, see rank | 6.85% |
| 20 to 24 years | 123,250 | 6.65%, see rank | 7.13% |
| 25 to 34 years | 219,567 | 11.84%, see rank | 13.47% |
| 35 to 44 years | 233,375 | 12.59%, see rank | 12.96% |
| 45 to 54 years | 263,350 | 14.21%, see rank | 14.09% |
| 55 to 64 years | 270,697 | 14.60%, see rank | 12.29% |
| 65 to 74 years | 175,725 | 9.48%, see rank | 7.64% |
| 75 to 84 | 98,022 | 5.29%, see rank | 4.25% |
| 85 years and over | 37,878 | 2.04%, see rank | 1.85% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical age data.
Education for the 25 Years and Over
| West Virginia | % | U.S. | |
| Total 25 Years and Over Population | 1,298,614 | 100% | 209,056,129 |
| Less Than High School | 202,171 | 15.57%, see rank | 13.67% |
| High School Graduate | 531,305 | 40.91%, see rank | 27.95% |
| Some College or Associate Degree | 321,672 | 24.77%, see rank | 29.09% |
| Bachelor Degree | 150,406 | 11.58%, see rank | 18.27% |
| Master, Doctorate, or Professional Degree | 93,060 | 7.17%, see rank | 11.01% |
| USA.com Education Index# | 12.84, see rank | - | 13.54 |
# Higher USA.com Education Index means more educated population.
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical education level data.
School Enrollment
| West Virginia | U.S. | ||||
| Total | Public | Private | Public | Private | |
| Nursery School, Preschool, Kindergarten | 43,044 | 84.64% | 15.36% | 71.30% | 28.70% |
| Elementary School (Grades 1-8) | 172,271 | 93.32%, see rank | 6.68%, see rank | 89.86% | 10.14% |
| High School (Grades 9-12) | 85,998 | 93.47%, see rank | 6.53%, see rank | 90.60% | 9.40% |
| College | 94,709 | 83.79%, see rank | 16.21%, see rank | 78.37% | 21.63% |
| Graduate School | 20,067 | 79.56%, see rank | 20.44%, see rank | 58.86% | 41.14% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical school enrollment data.
Household and Family
| West Virginia | % | U.S. | |
| Total Households | 742,359 | 100% | 116,211,092 |
| Average Household Size | 2.43, see rank | - | 2.63 |
| 1 Person Households | 222,088 | 29.92%, see rank | 27.57% |
| 2 or More Person Households | 520,271 | 70.08%, see rank | 72.43% |
| Family Households (Families) | 481,812 | 64.90%, see rank | 66.22% |
| Average Family Size | 3.08, see rank | - | 3.32 |
| Married-Couple Family | 365,213 | 49.20%, see rank | 48.42% |
| Nonfamily Households | 260,547 | 35.10%, see rank | 33.78% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical household and family data.
Marital Status of 15 Years and Over
| West Virginia | % | U.S. | |
| 15 Years and Over Total | 1,536,633 | see rank | 252,974,135 |
| Males, 15 Years and Over | 752,192 | 100%, see rank | 123,281,364 |
| Never Married | 232,436 | 30.90%, see rank | 35.77% |
| Married | 401,563 | 53.39%, see rank | 52.04% |
| Widowed | 25,365 | 3.37%, see rank | 2.57% |
| Divorced | 92,828 | 12.34%, see rank | 9.62% |
| Females, 15 Years and Over | 784,441 | 100%, see rank | 129,692,771 |
| Never Married | 183,015 | 23.33%, see rank | 29.48% |
| Married | 398,564 | 50.81%, see rank | 49.19% |
| Widowed | 96,049 | 12.24%, see rank | 9.16% |
| Divorced | 106,813 | 13.62%, see rank | 12.16% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical marital status data.
Place of Birth and Citizenship
| West Virginia | % | U.S. | |
| Native | 1,826,341 | 98.51%, see rank | 86.93% |
| Born in the State of Residence | 1,301,693 | 70.21%, see rank | 58.73% |
| Born in Different State | 516,007 | 27.83%, see rank | 26.78% |
| Born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island Areas, or Born Abroad to American Parent(s) | 8,641 | 0.47%, see rank | 1.42% |
| Foreign Born | 27,540 | 1.49%, see rank | 13.07% |
| Foreign Born with U.S. Citizenship | 12,969 | 0.70%, see rank | 5.99% |
| Foreign Born without U.S. Citizenship | 14,571 | 0.79%, see rank | 7.09% |
| Born In Europe | 5,072 | 0.27%, see rank | 1.53% |
| Born In Asia | 12,005 | 0.65%, see rank | 3.82% |
| Born In Africa | 1,828 | 0.10%, see rank | 0.55% |
| Born In Oceania | 171 | 0.01%, see rank | 0.07% |
| Born In Latin America | 7,111 | 0.38%, see rank | 6.83% |
| Born In Northern America | 1,353 | 0.07%, see rank | 0.26% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical place of birth and citizenship data.
Language Spoken at Home
| West Virginia | % | U.S. | |
| English | 718,224 | 96.75%, see rank | 79.39% |
| Spanish | 10,624 | 1.43%, see rank | 11.75% |
| Other Indo-European Languages | 7,932 | 1.07%, see rank | 4.52% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander Languages | 4,013 | 0.54%, see rank | 3.36% |
| Other | 1,566 | 0.21%, see rank | 0.99% |
*Based on 2010-2014 data. View historical language spoken at home data.