West Virginia Population 2024

Located in the central eastern sector of the United States of America, West Virginia was admitted into the Union in 1863. It is the 41st largest and the 38th most populous state in the country, but what are the population statistics in the present day?

The last nationwide census in the US was undertaken in 2010, so to gauge any recent numbers, it is necessary to take the findings from that survey and project them forward to the present day. The 2010 survey revealed that there were 1,852,994 people living in West Virginia, which represented a modest rise of just 2.5% on the numbers declared at the 2000 census. That total makes West Virginia the 38th most populous state in the country.

West Virginia's population has grown very slowly since the 1950s, at many times losing people. Estimates taken in July 2015 indicate that this may once again be the case.

West Virginia Area and Population Density

The total surface area of West Virginia measures 24,230 square miles (62,755 square kilometers), which means that an average of 77.1 peoples live on every square mile of West Virginia land. That figure converts to 29.8 people for every square kilometer, and it makes West Virginia the 29th most densely populated in the country -- in that respect, it’s a pretty average state.

West Virginia is one of the few US states not to have a city with more than 100,000 residents. In fact, the largest city in the state, Charleston (the state capital) is home to just 49,736 people. The next largest cities are Huntington (48,638) and Parkersburg (30.991).

The majority of West Virginia's counties are designated as rural, with a small majority of the state's population living in a rural area. In 2010, the state had a 51% rural population, compared to 49% urban.

The most populated counties in West Virginia are Kanawha and Berkeley, with respective populations of 183,293 and 114,920.

West Virginia Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age across the population of West Virginia is approximately 41.9 years of age. In terms of the ratio of females to males within the population, 50.6% are females and 49.4% are males.

In terms of preferred religions among the population of West Virginia, 78% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 18% are not affiliated with any particular faith.

West Virginia Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

West Virginia was admitted as a State on June 20, 1863, comprising 48 counties formerly part of Virginia; two additional counties, Berkeley and Jefferson, were added in 1866, bringing the State to essentially its present boundaries. Census coverage included all parts of the present State from 1790 on.

As one of just ten states with a non-Hispanic white population exceeding 90%, West Virginia is one of the least diverse states in the nation. West Virginia is ranked 50th out of 50 states when it comes to its percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents. The state also has a low percentage of African American inhabitants, ranking 37th out of 50 in the nation.

Only 1.1% of West Virginians were foreign-born, which is one of the lowest percentages in the country. The state also has the lowest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home.

In terms of its Asian American population, the percentage of Asians in relation to West Virginia's total population is the lowest in the country. As far as numbers, the Asian population in the state is ranked 44th out of 50.