Lewis County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lewis 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 averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,740 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.0 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.26% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,967 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lewis County declined by 2.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,740 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lewis County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.4% of residents. That is 1.1 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,082 18.4% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,197 19.1% on par
- Gen X 45–60 3,744 22.4% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,466 20.7% -0.5 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 50.5% of the people living in Lewis County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 49.5% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lewis County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lewis County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,055 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.10% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lewis County is about 6% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $132,143 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $730 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.2% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lewis County is about 15.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $730 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lewis County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.1 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,959 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,911 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 553 | 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 Lewis County is 23 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
Lewis County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.5% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Lewis County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lewis County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.3 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.1% | 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).
Lewis County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lewis County, WV compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County, WV | 16,740 | $56,055 #2/3 | $132,143 #1/3 | 23.1 min #3/3 |
| Upshur County, WV | 23,712 | $55,217 | $68,648 | 21.6 min |
| Harrison County, WV | 64,984 | $60,698 | $72,884 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lewis County, West Virginia.
How big is Lewis County, West Virginia by population?
About 16,740 people live in Lewis County, West Virginia, in 6,967 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Lewis County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Lewis County, West Virginia has 43 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 50% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lewis County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($132,143 against $56,055), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $730 a month takes about 16% 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 Lewis County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Lewis County, West Virginia is 8.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Lewis County, West Virginia?
16.5% of adults in Lewis County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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