McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia, had an estimated population of 16,878 in 2025 across 1,382 km². The figures below come from the US Census Bureau's population estimates and the American Community Survey, each shown with its own vintage and its rank among West Virginia's counties and nationally.

Population: 16,878; 2025 estimate
Area: 1,382 km²
Density: 12; per km²
Median income: $31,559; household, ACS 2024
Median age: 43.7; years, ACS 2024

How West Virginia's counties spread

Amenities & Infrastructure

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Households with Broadband2024	85.5%	22 / 55	1,902 / 3,144
Median Gross Rent2024	$643	50 / 55	2,952 / 3,137
Median Home Value2024	$50,000	55 / 55	3,138 / 3,139
Owner-Occupied Homes2024	77.3%	32 / 55	1,076 / 3,144
Vacant Homes2024	30.7%	6 / 55	274 / 3,144

Demography

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Aged 65 and Over2024	21.9%	36 / 55	1,010 / 3,144
American Indian & Alaska Native2024	0.1%	8 / 55	1,566 / 3,144
Asian, non-Hispanic2024	0.1%	33 / 55	2,631 / 3,144
Average Household Size2024people	2.4	18 / 55	1,456 / 3,144
Black, non-Hispanic2024	8.8%	2 / 55	820 / 3,144
Foreign-Born2024	1.6%	11 / 55	2,219 / 3,144
Hispanic or Latino2024	2.1%	8 / 55	2,601 / 3,144
Median Age2024years	43.7	38 / 55	947 / 3,144
Sex Ratio2024per 1,000 males	876	51 / 55	2,892 / 3,144
Speak a Language Other Than English2024	2.4%	12 / 55	2,581 / 3,144
Under 182024	18.2%	45 / 55	2,695 / 3,144
Veterans2024	4.7%	55 / 55	2,839 / 3,144
White, non-Hispanic2024	86.5%	49 / 55	1,139 / 3,144

Economy

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Below Poverty Line2024	34.2%	1 / 55	21 / 3,144
Households on SNAP2024	36.5%	1 / 55	15 / 3,144
Income Inequality2024index	0.462	25 / 55	997 / 3,144
Median Household Income2024	$31,559	55 / 55	3,135 / 3,143
Per Capita Income2024	$17,253	55 / 55	3,138 / 3,144
Unemployment Rate2024	8.2%	15 / 55	204 / 3,144

Education

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Bachelor's Degree or Higher2024	6.8%	55 / 55	3,139 / 3,144
High School or Higher2024	75.5%	55 / 55	3,072 / 3,144

Health Coverage

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
No Health Insurance2024	8.8%	3 / 55	1,310 / 3,144
With a Disability2024	29.8%	3 / 55	26 / 3,144

Population & Density

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Population2025	16,878	33 / 55	1,984 / 3,144
Population Density2025/km²	12	36 / 55	1,858 / 3,144

Work & Commute

Indicator	Value	In West Virginia	In the US
Commute by Public Transit2024	0.5%	11 / 55	782 / 3,144
Households with No Vehicle2024	10.7%	7 / 55	182 / 3,144
Mean Commute Time2024minutes	36	7 / 55	78 / 3,143
Work from Home2024	4.5%	46 / 55	2,743 / 3,144

Other counties of West Virginia

Compare McDowell County against every other county on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas. Sources and vintages for every figure on this page are listed under datasets, or browse all 3,144 counties.