Hancock County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hancock 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.
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C
Health Below average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 76% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 72% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,177 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 320.6 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.68% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.5 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,779 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hancock County declined by 5.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,177 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hancock County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.8% of residents. That is 1.6 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,725 16.8% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,079 18.0% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,419 22.8% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,264 22.2% +1.0 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 51.4% of the people living in Hancock County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.6% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hancock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hancock County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,034 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.58% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.4% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hancock County is about 4% higher than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $33,531 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $771 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hancock County is about 3.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $771 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hancock County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.3 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.6 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,247 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,120 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,332 | 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 Hancock County is 20 minutes, shorter 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
Hancock County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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
Hancock County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.8% | 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).
Hancock County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Hancock County, WV is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 28,177 residents against a local median of 64,518. The measure that sets Hancock County, WV apart most is median home price: $33,531, 50% below the local median of $66,603.
The counties themselves spread $54,094 on median home price, so Hancock County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hancock County, WV has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, WV | 28,177 | $62,034 #2/6 | $33,531 #6/6 | 20.3 min #2/6 |
| Jefferson County, OH | 64,518 | $58,815 | $90,625 | 20.7 min |
| Brooke County, WV | 21,782 | $54,363 | $55,000 | 21.0 min |
| Beaver County, PA | 166,309 | $71,516 | $109,094 | 22.3 min |
| Columbiana County, OH | 100,702 | $58,029 | $56,100 | 20.9 min |
| Ohio County, WV | 41,582 | $56,652 | $66,603 | 17.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hancock County, West Virginia.
How many people live in Hancock County, West Virginia?
About 28,177 people live in Hancock County, West Virginia, in 12,779 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Hancock County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Hancock County, West Virginia has 321 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Hancock County, West Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($33,531 against $62,034), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $771 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Hancock County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Hancock County, West Virginia is 8.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Hancock County, West Virginia have a college degree?
18.2% of adults in Hancock County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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