Mason County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mason 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,043 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 56.3 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.96% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.1 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,211 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mason County declined by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,043 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mason County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,451 17.8% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,838 19.3% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,556 22.2% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,250 21.0% -0.2 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 51.8% of the people living in Mason County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.2% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mason County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mason County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,807 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.44% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mason County is about 16% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $181,696 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $671 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mason County is about 22.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $671 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mason County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 218 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.2 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.4 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 218 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,769 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,053 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,178 | 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 Mason County is 26 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
Mason County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Mason County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Mason County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.1% | 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).
Mason County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Mason County, WV is typical in size for this group, 25,043 residents against a local median of 29,068, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Mason County, WV's median home price, at $181,696, runs 57% above the $115,517 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $235,970 on median home price, so Mason County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mason County, WV has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County, WV | 25,043 | $49,807 #5/6 | $181,696 #3/6 | 26.2 min #5/6 |
| Putnam County, WV | 57,177 | $80,154 | $22,363 | 25.2 min |
| Gallia County, OH | 29,068 | $57,211 | $258,333 | 18.9 min |
| Meigs County, OH | 21,896 | $47,026 | $115,517 | 28.1 min |
| Jackson County, WV | 27,705 | $59,206 | $257,954 | 25.5 min |
| Cabell County, WV | 92,739 | $56,062 | $55,124 | 18.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mason County, West Virginia.
How many people live in Mason County, West Virginia?
About 25,043 people live in Mason County, West Virginia, in 10,211 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Mason County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Mason County, West Virginia has 56 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 65% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mason County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($181,696 against $49,807), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $671 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Mason County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Mason County, West Virginia is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Mason County, West Virginia?
14.8% of adults in Mason County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →