Raleigh County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Raleigh 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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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 73,194 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 120.2 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.80% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 29,004 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Raleigh County declined by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 73,194 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Raleigh County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.1 points below West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,722 18.7% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,557 19.9% +0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,436 21.1% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,376 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 49.8% of the people living in Raleigh County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 50.2% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Raleigh County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Raleigh County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,658 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.86% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Raleigh County is about 13% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $84,848 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $902 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.3% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Raleigh County is about 7.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $902 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Raleigh County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.3 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 168 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,208 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,290 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,221 | 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 Raleigh County is 20 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
Raleigh County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Raleigh County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Raleigh County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.5% | 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).
Raleigh County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
Raleigh County, WV is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 73,194 residents against a local median of 30,271. The measure that sets Raleigh County, WV apart most is median home price: $84,848, 40% above the local median of $60,759.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.2 min against a local median of 24.8 min, 19% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 19% below the local median it puts Raleigh County, WV at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $34,239 on median home price, so Raleigh County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Raleigh County, WV has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh County, WV | 73,194 | $51,658 #4/5 | $84,848 #1/5 | 20.2 min #1/5 |
| Fayette County, WV | 39,515 | $53,782 | $54,853 | 23.3 min |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | $48,071 | $33,392 | 26.3 min |
| Mercer County, WV | 58,563 | $52,590 | $67,631 | 20.7 min |
| Boone County, WV | 21,027 | $57,090 | $66,665 | 29.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Raleigh County, West Virginia.
How big is Raleigh County, West Virginia by population?
About 73,194 people live in Raleigh County, West Virginia, in 29,004 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Raleigh County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Raleigh County, West Virginia has 120 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Raleigh County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($84,848 against $51,658), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $902 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Raleigh County, West Virginia have a college degree?
19.4% of adults in Raleigh County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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