McDowell County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McDowell 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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F
Health Well below averageLeast healthy county in West Virginia
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F
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in West Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,943 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.6 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.47% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,467 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McDowell County declined by 21.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,943 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McDowell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.0% of residents. That is 1.8 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,074 17.1% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,525 19.6% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,123 23.0% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,919 21.8% +0.6 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 49.2% of the people living in McDowell County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 50.8% West Virginia 49.7%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in McDowell County
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Economy
McDowell County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,066 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.23% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McDowell County is about 46% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $95,227 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $642 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.3% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McDowell County is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $642 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McDowell County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 264 hours, about 11.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.7 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.4 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 264 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,193 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,914 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 352 | 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 McDowell County is 32 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
McDowell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.1% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
McDowell County has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | McDowell County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 35.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 35.3% | 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).
McDowell County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
McDowell County, WV is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 17,943 residents against a local median of 35,537. McDowell County, WV's commute, at 31.7 min, runs 51% above the 20.9 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $32,066 against a local median of $48,900, 34% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: McDowell County, WV reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 5.8 min on commute, so McDowell County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McDowell County, WV has the 5th lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell County, WV | 17,943 | $32,066 #5/5 | $95,227 #2/5 | 31.7 min #5/5 |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | $48,071 | $33,392 | 26.3 min |
| Tazewell County, VA | 39,616 | $47,574 | $184,376 | 20.5 min |
| Logan County, WV | 31,458 | $49,728 | $93,898 | 21.2 min |
| Mercer County, WV | 58,563 | $52,590 | $67,631 | 20.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McDowell County, West Virginia.
How big is McDowell County, West Virginia by population?
About 17,943 people live in McDowell County, West Virginia, in 6,467 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is McDowell County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, McDowell County, West Virginia has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is McDowell County, West Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($95,227 against $32,066), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $642 a month takes about 24% 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 McDowell County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in McDowell County, West Virginia is 8.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in McDowell County, West Virginia have a college degree?
6.1% of adults in McDowell County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 16), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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