How many people live in ?

Updated annually
In 2025, there were 1.77 million people living in West Virginia. That makes West Virginia the 39th-most populous state, home to 0.52% of people living in the US.

1.77M

population of West Virginia (2025)

0.52%

West Virginia share of the US population (2025)
The population of West Virginia was about 1.8 times higher than it was in 1900. Between 2024 and 2025, the population of West Virginia shrunk by about 1,300 people.

About 1.77 million people lived in West Virginia in 2025. That's about 1.8 times more than in 1900.

Annual population estimates

What are West Virginia's age demographics?

About 387,400 West Virginia residents were aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 21.9% of the state’s population compared with 18% in the US overall.
Another 348,400 West Virginia residents, or 19.7% of the state’s population, were aged under 18. For comparison, children account for 21.6% of the US population.

A higher share of West Virginia's population is 65 and older than the US overall.

Population share by age group (2024)

What are West Virginia's racial and ethnic demographics?

A state’s population may have racial and ethnic differences compared with the US overall. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census Bureau reporting standards.
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 90.7% of West Virginia’s population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, West Virginia’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounted for 3.7%, below the 12.6% share nationwide. The Hispanic population makes up 2.4% of the state, compared with 20% nationally.

A higher share of West Virginia's population is non-Hispanic white than the US overall.

Population share by race and ethnicity (2024)

What are West Virginia's most populous counties?

In 2024, 10 out of 55 counties accounted for over half of West Virginia’s population:
  • Kanawha County, 173,900 (9.8% of the population)
  • Berkeley County, 136,300 (7.7%)
  • Monongalia County, 108,700 (6.2%)
  • Cabell County, 91,500 (5.2%)
  • Wood County, 82,800 (4.7%)
  • Raleigh County, 72,400 (4.1%)
  • Harrison County, 64,500 (3.6%)
  • Jefferson County, 61,300 (3.5%)
  • Mercer County, 57,500 (3.3%)
  • Putnam County, 57,100 (3.2%)

In 2024, Kanawha County was the most populous county in West Virginia.

Population estimates

What are West Virginia's most populous cities?

The largest city in West Virginia is Charleston with about 46,500 residents in 2024.

Cities and counties in West Virginia ranked by population

Cities and counties in West Virginia ranked by population
1.

Charleston 

46,482
2.

Huntington 

44,942
3.

Morgantown 

30,490
4.

Parkersburg 

28,834
5.

Wheeling 

26,060
6.

Martinsburg 

19,047
7.

Weirton 

18,317
8.

Fairmont 

18,063
9.

Beckley 

16,515
10.

Clarksburg 

15,262

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.