Pocahontas County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pocahontas 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
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,784 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.3 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.26% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.8 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,181 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pocahontas County declined by 9.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,784 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pocahontas County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.4% of residents. That is 4.2 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,225 15.7% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,404 18.0% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,795 23.1% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,978 25.4% +4.2 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 48.7% of the people living in Pocahontas County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 51.3% West Virginia 49.7%
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100% of everyone living in Pocahontas County
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Economy
Pocahontas County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,788 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.37% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.8% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pocahontas County is about 28% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $32,916 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $715 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pocahontas County is about 3.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $715 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pocahontas County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.4 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,442 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 131 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 117 | 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 Pocahontas County is 17 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
Pocahontas County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Pocahontas County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.2% | 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).
Pocahontas County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Pocahontas County, WV compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County, WV | 7,784 | $42,788 #2/2 | $32,916 #2/2 | 17.2 min #2/2 |
| Randolph County, WV | 27,576 | $53,346 | $86,136 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
What is the population of Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
About 7,784 people live in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, in 3,181 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Pocahontas County, West Virginia has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Pocahontas County, West Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($32,916 against $42,788), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $715 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Pocahontas County, West Virginia is 11.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
13.8% of adults in Pocahontas County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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