Hardy County, West Virginia Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Hardy County, West Virginia, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Hardy County, West Virginia. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Hardy County, West Virginia. The estimated population of Hardy County, West Virginia is 14,269 people, with a median age of 45.1.

We can look at the total population in Hardy County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
14,269
+3.48%
+3.31%
2020
13,789
 -0.12% -
2019
13,805
 -0.27% -
2018
13,842
+0.22%
-
2017
13,812
 - -

Population of Hardy County, West Virginia by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
90%
90.8%
 -0.88%
Black/African American
4%
3.3%
 +21.21%
Native
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%
Hispanic
4.8%
4.2%
 +14.29%
Asian
0.5%
1.3%
 -61.54%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
0.7%
0.2%
 +250.00%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Hardy County, West Virginia by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 45.1 -0.66% 44.6 -1.11% 47.3 +2.83%
2020 45.4 -0.66% 45.1 -0.66% 46 -2.13%
2019 45.7 +0.66% 45.4 +0.22% 47 +3.3%
2018 45.4 +1.11% 45.3 +1.34% 45.5 +0.89%
2017 44.9 - 44.7 - 45.1 -

The median age of Hardy County, West Virginia gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 850 +26.58% 631 +10.77% 1,085 697
10 to 19 742 -9.03% 807 -10.28% 669 717
20 to 29 652 +41.86% 780 -3.13% 930 740
30 to 39 789 -4.04% 802 -17.93% 757 657
40 to 49 967 -11.73% 974 -6.92% 857 906
50 to 59 1,114 -30.04% 1,012 -10.77% 809 904
60 to 69 808 +43.86% 958 +9.17% 1,218 1,042
70+ 924 +24.07% 1,002 +11.76% 1,161 1,120

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Hardy County, West Virginia is $46,592.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Hardy County.

  • Under 25
    $43,438.00
  • 25 to 44
    $43,321.00
  • 45 to 64
    $60,473.00
  • 65 and over
    $44,593.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Hardy County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Hardy County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Hardy County, West Virginia is currently $68,732.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.97% of households in Hardy County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Hardy County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    19.28%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    34.48%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.90%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    9.82%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11.65%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2.90%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.97%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Hardy County is $28,388.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Hardy County by the total population of Hardy County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Hardy County, West Virginia, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Hardy County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    10.07%
  • Bachelor's degree
    11.77%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    7.56%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    66.79%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.81%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Hardy County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Hardy County over the age of 16 is 11,597.

Of those people, a total of 55.70% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Hardy County is 54.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 496 36.30% 3.90%
20 to 24 years 618 71.80% 18.70%
25 to 29 years 1,052 72.20% 0.00%
30 to 34 years 790 85.70% 0.70%
35 to 44 years 1,490 82.10% 2.80%
45 to 54 years 1,850 83.60% 1.40%
55 to 59 years 760 78.70% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 1,317 47.30% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 1,952 19.50% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,272 1.70% 47.60%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Hardy County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 10,757 54.30% 2.80%
Black or African American 436 67.70% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 74 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2 0.00% 0.00%
Other 97 100.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 231 63.20% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 438 62.10% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 10,611 54.40% 2.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Hardy County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Hardy County is 6,293, with median earnings of $30,569.00.

Women in Hardy County, West Virginia earning approximately 74.30% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 6,293 $30,569.00
Male 3,356 $35,560.00
Female 2,937 $26,423.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 694 $37,185.00
Business and Financial 107 $58,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 90 $95,510.00
Architecture and Engineering 105 $61,076.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 84 $25,885.00
Community and Social Service 42 $5,625.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 325 $44,816.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 79 $67,591.00
Healthcare Practitioners 219 $35,774.00
Healthcare Support 114 $25,389.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 41 $25,625.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 394 $16,436.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 520 $28,194.00
Personal Care and Service 167 $18,397.00
Sales 608 $21,289.00
Office and Administrative Support 510 $34,659.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 137 $48,672.00
Construction and Extraction 373 $42,989.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 141 $41,083.00
Production 554 $35,481.00
Transportation and Material Moving 301 $34,205.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 557 $36,611.00 137 $60,545.00
Business and Financial 43 $50,350.00 64 $110,833.00
Computer and Mathematical 90 $95,510.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 69 $61,007.00 36 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 84 $25,885.00
Community and Social Service 22 $3,816.00 20 $43,654.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 65 $46,424.00 260 $43,309.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 41 $0.00 38 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 34 $0.00 185 $30,417.00
Healthcare Support 12 $0.00 102 $25,722.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 31 $0.00 10 $0.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 166 $19,352.00 228 $15,941.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 345 $28,718.00 175 $19,232.00
Personal Care and Service 8 $0.00 159 $18,614.00
Sales 196 $39,900.00 412 $16,570.00
Office and Administrative Support 200 $14,773.00 310 $52,647.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 77 $41,955.00 60 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 354 $42,645.00 19 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 129 $42,083.00 12 $0.00
Production 394 $35,428.00 160 $35,625.00
Transportation and Material Moving 263 $35,994.00 38 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 5,794 households in Hardy County, with an average household size of 2.45 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,855 families in Hardy County with an average family size of 2.88 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 3,210 371 274 1,939
Average Household Size 2.94 3.34 3.49 1.32
Total Families 3,210 371 274 0
Average Household Size 2.9 2.57 3.04 0

Poverty

Of the 3,855 families in Hardy County, 13.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Hardy County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 8,141 housing units in Hardy County, West Virginia.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,794 71.17%
Vacant 2,347 28.83%

14.46% of the total 8,141 housing units in Hardy County are rental units. This is approximately 1,177 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 4,456 are occupied by the owner - or 54.74% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Hardy County is $844.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Hardy County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    161
  • Less than $500
    104
  • $500 to $999
    867
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    178
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    19
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    9
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Hardy County is $141,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Hardy County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    537
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    806
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,018
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    677
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    786
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    552
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    65
  • $1,000,000 or more
    15

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Hardy County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Hardy County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    881
  • 1940 to 1949
    148
  • 1950 to 1959
    673
  • 1960 to 1969
    796
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,048
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,525
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,564
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,298
  • 2010 to 2013
    208
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Hardy County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    335
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,396
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,387
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,676

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Hardy County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Hardy County that commute to work in a particular way.

25.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Hardy County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    513
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,058
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    916
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    541
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    630
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    70
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    497
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    172
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    99
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    518
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    422
  • 90 or more minutes
    182

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Hardy County, West Virginia in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Hardy County, West Virginia

We have data for 6 places in Hardy County, West Virginia. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.