Summers County, West Virginia Income Statistics
Summers County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Summers County Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Summers County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $40,711 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,317 | $52,420 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 1.7% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.9% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 1.6% | 5.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Summers County is about 32% lower than in West Virginia. Income has been growing slower in Summers County (1.7%/yr) than in West Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 4% of adults in Summers County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the West Virginia average of 8%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Summers County, West Virginia grew by 49.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $40,711 in 2024. That's an average of about 1.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Summers County
| Metric | Summers County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.548 | 0.554 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $49,088 | $61,809 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,205 | $47,573 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 7.9% | 23.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Summers County, it is 0.548, lower than West Virginia's 0.554, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 9% more than women's income in Summers County, West Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 9% wage gap accumulates to roughly $135,905 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Summers County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 32% to 8% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 37% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $7,257 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Summers County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.2% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 4.2% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 31 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 79 people are unemployed in Summers County, West Virginia.
The average commute time in Summers County is 31 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in West Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Summers County, West Virginia has fallen from 5.8% to 2.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.7% in 2019.
Summers County, WV Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Summers County, WV is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 11,729 residents against a local median of 39,515. Summers County, WV's income growth, at 1.7%/yr, runs 61% below the 4.4%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 2.2% against a local median of 4.7%, 54% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Summers County, WV is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 2.8%/yr on income growth, so Summers County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Summers County, WV has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summers County, WV | 11,729 | $40,711 #6/6 | 1.7%/yr #6/6 | 2.2% #2/6 | 0.548 #5/6 |
| Monroe County, WV | 12,386 | $56,106 | 5.7%/yr | 4.7% | 0.511 |
| Mercer County, WV | 58,563 | $52,590 | 4.4%/yr | 2.6% | 0.535 |
| Giles County, VA | 16,557 | $67,311 | 4.4%/yr | 2.1% | 0.498 |
| Raleigh County, WV | 73,194 | $51,658 | 2.9%/yr | 5.0% | 0.579 |
| Fayette County, WV | 39,515 | $53,782 | 4.5%/yr | 5.6% | 0.545 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Summers County, West Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than West Virginia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Summers County, West Virginia.
How Rich Is Summers County, West Virginia?
Summers County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $40,711, about 32% lower than the West Virginia average of $59,640.
How has median household income changed in Summers County, West Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Summers County, West Virginia rose 49%, from $27,248 to $40,711. Over the same years, income here lagged behind West Virginia as a whole: +49% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Summers County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Summers County, West Virginia was $42,472, down 2% from $43,265 in 2022. The West Virginia median that year was $57,884.
What was the median household income in Summers County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Summers County, West Virginia was $37,389. By 2024 it had risen 9% to $40,711.
Is unemployment high in Summers County, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Summers County, West Virginia is only 2.2%, well below the West Virginia rate of 5.4%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Summers County, West Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Summers County is 0.548. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Summers County, West Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Summers County, West Virginia has narrowed from about 32% to 8% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 37% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $7,257 since 2009.
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