Kanawha County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kanawha 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
-
C
Income Below averageWealthier than 85% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 91% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 176,529 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 193.9 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.93% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 76,455 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kanawha County declined by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 176,529 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kanawha County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.5 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 32,595 18.5% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 33,624 19.0% on par
- Gen X 45–60 38,305 21.7% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 38,072 21.6% +0.4 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 51.7% of the people living in Kanawha County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.3% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kanawha County
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Economy
Kanawha County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,190 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.53% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kanawha County is about 3% higher than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,645 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $906 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kanawha County is about 7.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $906 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kanawha County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.3 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,823 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,678 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,950 | 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 Kanawha County is 19 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
Kanawha County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.3% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Kanawha County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Kanawha County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.5% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.7% | 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).
Kanawha County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Kanawha County, WV is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 176,529 residents against a local median of 27,705. The measure that sets Kanawha County, WV apart most is median home price: $85,645, 28% above the local median of $66,665.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.7 min against a local median of 25.5 min, 27% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 27% below the local median it puts Kanawha County, WV at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $235,591 on median home price, so Kanawha County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Kanawha County, WV has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County, WV | 176,529 | $61,190 #2/4 | $85,645 #2/4 | 18.7 min #1/4 |
| Boone County, WV | 21,027 | $57,090 | $66,665 | 29.0 min |
| Putnam County, WV | 57,177 | $80,154 | $22,363 | 25.2 min |
| Jackson County, WV | 27,705 | $59,206 | $257,954 | 25.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kanawha County, West Virginia.
How big is Kanawha County, West Virginia by population?
About 176,529 people live in Kanawha County, West Virginia, in 76,455 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Kanawha County, West Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Kanawha County, West Virginia has 194 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($85,645 against $61,190), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $906 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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