Wheeling, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wheeling, 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
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,832 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1311.9 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.71% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,830 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wheeling declined by 6.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,832 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wheeling is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.3 points below West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,095 19.7% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,960 19.0% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,235 20.3% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,355 20.9% -0.3 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 Wheeling and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.2% West Virginia 49.7%
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Economy
Wheeling has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,354 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.42% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wheeling is about 21% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,658 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $803 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.0% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wheeling is about 6.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $803 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wheeling spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,037 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,586 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,223 | 1,052 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wheeling is 16 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
Wheeling has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.03 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Wheeling has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wheeling | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.1 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wheeling, West Virginia.
How big is Wheeling, West Virginia by population?
About 20,832 people live in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 9,830 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Wheeling, West Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wheeling, West Virginia has 1,312 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 15 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Wheeling, West Virginia?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($65,658 against $47,354), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $803 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 Wheeling, West Virginia?
Unemployment in Wheeling, West Virginia is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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