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Population and Demography of West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the northeast, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest.
West Virginia is the 39th most populous state in the United States. The total Land area is 24,078 square miles (62,361 square kilometers) and an average of 77 people for every square mile. This makes West Virginia the 29th most densely populated state in the US. As per the United States Census Bureau, the population of West Virginia in 2020 was 1,793,716 (1.79 million)
Population of West Virginia in 2024 – 1,770,071 (1.8 million)
West Virginia Population (2010-2020)
West Virginia has a population growth rate of -3.1 during 2010-2020. It has population decrease of 59,278 since 2010. 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.
| West Virginia | Census 2020 |
| Total Population | 1,793,716 (1.79 million) |
| Percentage Change | 6.10% |
| Population Rank | 39th |
| Total Land Area | 24,078 sq mi (62,361 km2) |
| Area Rank | 41st |
| Population Density | 77.1/sq mi (29.8/km2) |
| Capital City | Charleston |
| Largest City | Charleston |
West Virginia Historical Population
In 1910 Population of West Virginia was 1.2 million & Year 2020 it reached 1.8 million, an increase of almost 0.6 million.
Let’s look at decade population & percentage change from the Year 1910 to 2020
| Year | Population | Percentage Change |
| 2020 | 1,793,716 | -3.2 |
| 2010 | 1,852,994 | 2.5 |
| 2000 | 1,808,344 | 0.4 |
| 1990 | 1,793,477 | -8.0 |
| 1980 | 1,949,644 | 11.8 |
| 1970 | 1,744,237 | -6.2 |
| 1960 | 1,860,421 | -7.2 |
| 1950 | 2,005,552 | 5.4 |
| 1940 | 1,901,974 | 10.0 |
| 1930 | 1,729,205 | 18.1 |
| 1920 | 1,463,701 | 19.9 |
| 1910 | 1,221,119 | 27.4 |
Religion and affiliations
Christianity is the majority religion in West Virginia followed by 78% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in West Virginia is Protestant (70%); Roman Catholic (6%); Mormonism (2%).
Next comes the Unaffiliated population, 22% of the population doesn’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion. Other non-Christian-based religions followed by 3% of the population and include Jewish, Hinduism, Buddhism, Muslim, and other smaller faiths.
For more details read Religion in West Virginia
Race and Ethnicity in West Virginia
In 2020, the White alone (non-Hispanic) population was the largest racial or ethnic group in West Virginia, comprising 89.14% of the total population. It was followed by the Two or more races population whose share was 4.02%. Black or African American was the third largest group at 3.61%. Hispanic or Latino population is at 1.94% & Asian at 0.83%
Ancestry in West Virginia
As per Census Studies & estimates German, Irish, American, English, and Italian have made the five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia.
For more Details read Race and Ethnicity in West Virginia
Top cities and counties in West Virginia
As of 2022, West Virginia is divided into 55 counties. Kanawha County is the most populous county (177,952) and Randolph County (1,040 sq. mi) is the largest county by area.
West Virginia is don’t have a city with more than 100,000 residents. The largest city in the state is Charleston with a population of 49,736 followed by Huntington (48,638) and Parkersburg (30.991).
read more about cities and counties in West Virginia
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