Brooke County, West Virginia Income Statistics
Brooke 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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C
Brooke County Below averageWealthier than 89% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Brooke County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $54,363 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $51,675 | $52,420 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.1% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.6% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.8% | 5.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Brooke County is about 9% lower than in West Virginia. Income has been growing slower in Brooke County (2.1%/yr) than in West Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Brooke 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 Brooke County, West Virginia grew by 34.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $54,363 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.1% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Brooke County
| Metric | Brooke County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.518 | 0.554 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,156 | $61,809 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $47,358 | $47,573 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 21.3% | 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 Brooke County, it is 0.518, lower than West Virginia's 0.554, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 27% more than women's income in Brooke County, West Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 27% wage gap accumulates to roughly $447,930 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brooke County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 28% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 35% in 2017, and was narrowest at 16% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,656 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Brooke County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.3% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 21 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 641 people are unemployed in Brooke County, West Virginia.
The average commute time in Brooke County is 21 minutes, about the same as in West Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Brooke County, West Virginia has fallen from 10.0% to 6.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.5% in 2012 and fell as low as 3.0% in 2018.
Brooke County, WV Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Brooke County, WV is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 21,782 residents against a local median of 41,582. Brooke County, WV's income growth, at 2.1%/yr, runs 50% below the 4.1%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 6.3% against a local median of 5.0%, 25% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Brooke County, WV reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 1.8%/yr on income growth, so Brooke County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brooke County, WV has the 6th 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke County, WV | 21,782 | $54,363 #6/6 | 2.1%/yr #6/6 | 6.3% #5/6 | 0.518 #1/6 |
| Ohio County, WV | 41,582 | $56,652 | 3.8%/yr | 6.0% | 0.559 |
| Jefferson County, OH | 64,518 | $58,815 | 4.1%/yr | 5.0% | 0.540 |
| Hancock County, WV | 28,177 | $62,034 | 5.6%/yr | 8.4% | 0.523 |
| Washington County, PA | 209,930 | $79,568 | 4.1%/yr | 4.8% | 0.524 |
| Marshall County, WV | 29,868 | $59,233 | 3.8%/yr | 4.3% | 0.546 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brooke County, West Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat better than West Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Brooke County, West Virginia.
How Rich Is Brooke County, West Virginia?
Brooke County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $54,363, about 9% lower than the West Virginia average of $59,640.
Are incomes growing in Brooke County, West Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Brooke County, West Virginia rose 34%, from $40,419 to $54,363. Over the same years, income here lagged behind West Virginia as a whole: +34% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Brooke County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Brooke County, West Virginia was $52,418, up 1% from $51,778 in 2022. The West Virginia median that year was $57,884.
What was the median household income in Brooke County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Brooke County, West Virginia was $47,094. By 2024 it had risen 15% to $54,363.
What is the Gini coefficient in Brooke County, West Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Brooke County is 0.518. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Brooke County, West Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brooke County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 28% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 35% in 2017, and was narrowest at 16% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,656 since 2009.
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