Demographics of McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia had 16,878 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −2,064 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

McDowell County, in four figures

16,878
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −10.9%
Change since July 2020: −2,064 people.; 43.7 ±0.6
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $31,559 ±$2,515
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

McDowell County, West Virginia's population shrank 10.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of McDowell County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

McDowell County, West Virginia's population shrank 10.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of McDowell County, West Virginia's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	18,942	100.0	100.0
2021	18,421	97.2	100.2
2022	17,795	93.9	100.7
2023	17,446	92.1	101.6
2024	17,186	90.7	102.5
2025	16,878	89.1	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of McDowell County, West Virginia on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	18,942	−181	−59	0	−108
2021	18,421	−521	−231	+6	−289
2022	17,795	−626	−290	+15	−365
2023	17,446	−349	−224	+25	−149
2024	17,186	−260	−204	+5	−62
2025	16,878	−308	−197	0	−111

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 43.7 ±0.6: for men 41.5 ±1.4 and for women 47.3 ±1.3. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in McDowell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under 5	719 ±223	4.0% ±1.2	5.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	2,547 ±310	14.2% ±1.7	15.1% ±0.2	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,227 ±272	6.8% ±1.5	8.8% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	4,750 ±382	26.5% ±2.1	23.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	4,779 ±340	26.6% ±1.9	26.2% ±0.2	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	3,921 ±424	21.9% ±2.4	21.0% ±0.2	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $31,559 ±$2,515, and income per person $17,253 ±$1,792, in 2024 dollars. The median is $59,608 ±$691 in West Virginia and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in McDowell County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	West Virginia	United States
Under $25,000	2,501 ±410	38.7% ±6.1	21.1% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	1,924 ±362	29.8% ±5.4	21.6% ±0.4	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	908 ±203	14.0% ±3.1	17.3% ±0.4	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	514 ±174	7.9% ±2.7	12.7% ±0.4	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	449 ±160	6.9% ±2.5	15.1% ±0.4	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	16 to 224	0.2% to 3.5%	6.3% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	1 to 101	< 0.1% to 1.6%	5.9% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in McDowell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	West Virginia	United States
All ages	5,399 ±983	34.2% ±6.2	16.7% ±0.4	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,152 ±363	35.3% ±9.5	21.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,758 ±518	37.3% ±5.8	17.0% ±0.4	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,489 ±326	29.0% ±5.8	12.8% ±0.4	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in McDowell County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	McDowell County	West Virginia	United States
Housing units	9,336 ±21	861,325 ±394	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	69.3% ±3.1	84.6% ±0.4	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	30.7% ±3.0	15.4% ±0.4	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	77.3% ±3.4	74.9% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	22.7% ±4.6	25.1% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$50,000 ±$4,822	$162,600 ±$1,346	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$643 ±$47	$872 ±$8	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1958 ±4	1976 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in McDowell County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Hispanic or Latino	373 ±89	2.1% ±0.5	2.1% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	15,515 ±17	86.5% ±0.1	89.7% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	1,577 ±161	8.8% ±0.9	3.1% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 25	0% to 0.1%	0.8% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 35	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 20	0% to 0.1%	< 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 8	0% to < 0.1%	0.3% ±0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	449 ±160	2.5% ±0.9	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in McDowell County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	West Virginia	United States
Born in the state	13,228 ±527	73.7% ±2.9	67.4% ±0.3	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	4,377 ±514	24.4% ±2.9	30.2% ±0.3	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	10 to 76	0.1% to 0.4%	0.5% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	295 ±67	1.6% ±0.4	1.8% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	13 to 101	0.1% to 0.6%	1.0% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	238 ±66	1.3% ±0.4	0.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

McDowell County among the counties of West Virginia

33rd of 55 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the West Virginia page.

Counties of West Virginia near McDowell County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Brooke County	21,142	−6.0%
Boone County	20,251	−6.9%
Wyoming County	19,801	−7.1%
Lincoln County	19,177	−5.9%
Morgan County	18,027	+5.5%
McDowell County	16,878	−10.9%
Lewis County	16,394	−3.7%
Taylor County	16,287	−2.4%
Barbour County	15,414	−0.3%
Hardy County	14,337	+0.7%
Wetzel County	13,734	−4.7%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026