Braxton County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Braxton County, WV Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in West Virginia
-
F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 80% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,208 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.7 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.05% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.9 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,790 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Braxton County declined by 16.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,208 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Braxton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.7% of residents. That is 1.5 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,143 17.6% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,214 18.1% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,742 22.5% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,765 22.7% +1.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below West Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.4% of the people living in Braxton County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 50.6% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Braxton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Braxton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,274 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.93% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Braxton County is about 16% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $199,137 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $606 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Braxton County is about 27.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $606 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Braxton County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 234 hours, about 9.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.0 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.1 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 234 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,246 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,797 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 258 | 1,052 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
West Virginia:
Randolph County (16.4 min), Ohio County (17.0 min), Pocahontas County (17.2 min).
Slowest:
Hampshire County (40.3 min), Morgan County (35.8 min), Monroe County (33.7 min).
The average commute time in Braxton County is 28 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in West Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Braxton County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.4), Ohio County (0.3), Jefferson County (0.3).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.1), Lincoln County (0.2), Clay County (0.2).
Health
Braxton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Braxton County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.5% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.4% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.7), Lincoln County (0.8), Mingo County (0.8).
Braxton County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Braxton County, WV compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County, WV | 12,208 | $50,274 #2/2 | $199,137 #1/2 | 28.0 min #2/2 |
| Nicholas County, WV | 24,277 | $54,729 | $97,812 | 21.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Braxton County, West Virginia.
What is the population of Braxton County, West Virginia?
About 12,208 people live in Braxton County, West Virginia, in 4,790 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 47.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Braxton County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Braxton County, West Virginia has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Braxton County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($199,137 against $50,274), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $606 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Braxton County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Braxton County, West Virginia is 9.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Braxton County, West Virginia have a college degree?
11.0% of adults in Braxton County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →