McDowell County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54047 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Key Statistics

Total Population
17,943
Rank #1,993 of 3,222
38th %ile
Median Household Income
$31,559 −58.0% vs nat'l
Rank #3,142 of 3,222
2th %ile
Poverty Rate
34.2% +171.2% vs nat'l
Rank #3,134 of 3,222
3th %ile
Median Home Value
$50,000 −82.3% vs nat'l
Rank #3,216 of 3,222
0th %ile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
6.8% −79.9% vs nat'l
Rank #3,219 of 3,222
0th %ile
Unemployment Rate
8.2% +55.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,973 of 3,222
8th %ile

At a Glance

77.3% Homeownership
91.2% Insured
6.8% Bachelor's+

Age & Sex Distribution

MaleFemale
0-910-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-7980+15%10%5%0%5%10%15%

Race & Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic)Black (non-Hispanic)Two or More RacesHispanic or LatinoAmerican Indian (non-Hispanic)Asian (non-Hispanic)Other (non-Hispanic)0.0%27.9%55.7%83.6%86.5%8.8%2.5%2.1%0.1%0.1%0.0%

About McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia has a total population of 17,943, making it the 1,993rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in McDowell County is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in McDowell County is $31,559, which ranks #3,142 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 58.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 34.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.2%.

The median home value in McDowell County is $50,000, 82.3% below the national median. Renters in McDowell County pay a median gross rent of $643 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In McDowell County, 6.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 79.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 39.5 min.

McDowell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).

All data for McDowell County, West Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.

About this data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). All values are estimates derived from survey samples and are subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.