Hancock County, West Virginia Income Statistics
Hancock 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
Hancock County Below averageWealthier than 76% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $62,034 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $50,601 | $52,420 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.6% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.3% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.0% | 5.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Hancock County is about 4% higher than in West Virginia. Income has been growing faster in Hancock County (5.6%/yr) than in West Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Hancock 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 Hancock County, West Virginia grew by 59.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $62,034 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Hancock County
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.523 | 0.554 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $61,204 | $61,809 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,140 | $47,573 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 26.2% | 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 Hancock County, it is 0.523, 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 36% more than women's income in Hancock County, West Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 36% wage gap accumulates to roughly $562,240 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Hancock County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 32% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2011, and was narrowest at 23% in 2016. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,033 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Hancock County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 8.4% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 10.1% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 20 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 1,159 people are unemployed in Hancock County, West Virginia.
The average commute time in Hancock County is 20 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in West Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Hancock County, West Virginia has fallen from 9.8% to 8.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.0% in 2013 and fell as low as 6.6% in 2016.
Hancock County, WV Wealth 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 unemployment: 8.4%, 60% above the local median of 5.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 5.6%/yr against a local median of 3.8%/yr, 47% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Hancock County, WV is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 1.8% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Hancock County, WV, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Hancock County, WV has the 6th lowest unemployment 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, WV | 28,177 | $62,034 #2/6 | 5.6%/yr #1/6 | 8.4% #6/6 | 0.523 #3/6 |
| Jefferson County, OH | 64,518 | $58,815 | 4.1%/yr | 5.0% | 0.540 |
| Brooke County, WV | 21,782 | $54,363 | 2.1%/yr | 6.3% | 0.518 |
| Beaver County, PA | 166,309 | $71,516 | 4.1%/yr | 5.3% | 0.504 |
| Columbiana County, OH | 100,702 | $58,029 | 3.1%/yr | 4.5% | 0.525 |
| Ohio County, WV | 41,582 | $56,652 | 3.8%/yr | 6.0% | 0.559 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Hancock 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 Hancock County, West Virginia.
How Rich Is Hancock County, West Virginia?
Hancock 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 $62,034, about 4% higher than the West Virginia average of $59,640.
Are incomes growing in Hancock County, West Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Hancock County, West Virginia rose 59%, from $39,012 to $62,034. Over the same years, income here kept pace with West Virginia as a whole: +59% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Hancock County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Hancock County, West Virginia was $61,780, up 10% from $56,216 in 2022. The West Virginia median that year was $57,884.
What was the median household income in Hancock County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Hancock County, West Virginia was $48,054. By 2024 it had risen 29% to $62,034.
Is it hard to find a job in Hancock County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Hancock County, West Virginia is 8.4%, well above the West Virginia rate of 5.4%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Hancock County, West Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Hancock County is 0.523. 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 Hancock County, West Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Hancock County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 32% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2011, and was narrowest at 23% in 2016. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,033 since 2009.
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