Wood County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wood 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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C
Health Below average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 80% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 83,389 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 221.5 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.44% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 35,828 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wood County declined by 3.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 83,389 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wood County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.5 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,283 18.3% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,706 18.8% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 18,073 21.7% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,983 21.6% +0.4 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 51.3% of the people living in Wood County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.7% West Virginia 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wood County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wood County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,016 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.52% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wood County is about 3% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $88,233 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $822 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wood County is about 8.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $822 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wood County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,610 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,468 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,184 | 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 Wood County is 18 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
Wood County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.6% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 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
Wood County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wood County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.7% | 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).
Wood County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wood County, WV compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County, WV | 83,389 | $58,016 #3/3 | $88,233 #3/3 | 17.8 min #1/3 |
| Washington County, OH | 58,978 | $64,178 | $222,802 | 20.1 min |
| Jackson County, WV | 27,705 | $59,206 | $257,954 | 25.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wood County, West Virginia.
How big is Wood County, West Virginia by population?
About 83,389 people live in Wood County, West Virginia, in 35,828 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Wood County, West Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Wood County, West Virginia has 221 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wood County, West Virginia?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($88,233 against $58,016), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $822 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Wood County, West Virginia have a college degree?
20.6% of adults in Wood 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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