Boone County, West Virginia Income Statistics
Boone County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Boone County Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Boone County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $57,090 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $51,347 | $52,420 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.4% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.4% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.1% | 5.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Boone County is about 4% lower than in West Virginia. Income has been growing faster in Boone County (5.4%/yr) than in West Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Boone County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the West Virginia average of 8%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Boone County, West Virginia grew by 48.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $57,090 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Boone County
| Metric | Boone County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.559 | 0.554 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $63,191 | $61,809 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $48,550 | $47,573 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 23.2% | 23.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Boone County, it is 0.559, about the same as West Virginia's 0.554, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 30% more than women's income in Boone County, West Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 30% wage gap accumulates to roughly $512,435 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Boone County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 42% to 23% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,126 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Boone County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 8.8% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.9% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 28 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 705 people are unemployed in Boone County, West Virginia.
The average commute time in Boone County is 28 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in West Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Boone County, West Virginia has risen from 7.5% to 8.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 13.7% in 2021.
Boone County, WV Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Boone County, WV is typical in size for this group, 21,027 residents against a local median of 22,544, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Boone County, WV apart most is income growth: 5.4%/yr, 53% above the local median of 3.5%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 8.8% against a local median of 5.9%, 48% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Boone County, WV is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 1.9%/yr on income growth, so Boone County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Boone County, WV has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County, WV | 21,027 | $57,090 #2/6 | 5.4%/yr #1/6 | 8.8% #5/6 | 0.559 #2/6 |
| Logan County, WV | 31,458 | $49,728 | 4.0%/yr | 8.5% | 0.579 |
| Kanawha County, WV | 176,529 | $61,190 | 3.5%/yr | 5.6% | 0.538 |
| Lincoln County, WV | 19,902 | $46,204 | 3.3%/yr | 5.9% | 0.586 |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | $48,071 | 3.9%/yr | 5.7% | 0.590 |
| Mingo County, WV | 22,544 | $37,935 | 2.0%/yr | 11.5% | 0.605 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Boone County, West Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than West Virginia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Boone County, West Virginia.
How Rich Is Boone County, West Virginia?
Boone County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $57,090, about 4% lower than the West Virginia average of $59,640.
How fast is household income rising in Boone County, West Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Boone County, West Virginia rose 48%, from $38,506 to $57,090. Over the same years, income here lagged behind West Virginia as a whole: +48% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Boone County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Boone County, West Virginia was $56,549, up 1% from $55,996 in 2022. The West Virginia median that year was $57,884.
What was the median household income in Boone County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Boone County, West Virginia was $45,278. By 2024 it had risen 26% to $57,090.
How strong is the job market in Boone County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Boone County, West Virginia is 8.8%, well above the West Virginia rate of 5.4%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Boone County, West Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Boone County is 0.559. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Boone County, West Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Boone County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 42% to 23% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,126 since 2009.
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