Wetzel County, West Virginia Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Wetzel County, West Virginia. The estimated population of Wetzel County, West Virginia is 14,629 people, with a median age of 46.4.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
14,629
 -4.33% -7.37%
2020
15,291
 -0.94% -
2019
15,436
 -1.14% -
2018
15,614
 -1.13% -
2017
15,793
 - -

Population of Wetzel 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
96.6%
97.5%
 -0.92%
Black/African American
0.1%
0.6%
 -83.33%
Native
0%
0%
 0.00%
Hispanic
1%
0.5%
 +100.00%
Asian
0%
0.2%
 -100.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2%
1.2%
 +66.67%
Other
0.4%
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 Wetzel 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 46.4 -0.43% 44.8 -2.4% 47.3 +0.42%
2020 46.6 +1.3% 45.9 +1.32% 47.1 +1.51%
2019 46 +0.22% 45.3 +1.34% 46.4 -0.85%
2018 45.9 0% 44.7 +1.82% 46.8 -0.43%
2017 45.9 - 43.9 - 47 -

The median age of Wetzel 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 9 782 +13.47% 760 +6.88% 884 810
10 to 19 1,041 -18.61% 1,017 -31.2% 856 723
20 to 29 837 -3.62% 815 +0.26% 806 817
30 to 39 965 -22.59% 811 -14.86% 764 696
40 to 49 798 -2.91% 995 -9.85% 771 897
50 to 59 1,199 0.079999999999999% 1,250 -14.75% 1,198 1,074
60 to 69 1,047 -4.36% 1,100 +5.31% 998 1,146
70+ 1,031 -10.34% 1,345 -5.66% 924 1,265

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Wetzel County, West Virginia is $47,611.00.

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 Wetzel County.

  • Under 25
    $33,088.00
  • 25 to 44
    $47,917.00
  • 45 to 64
    $62,679.00
  • 65 and over
    $39,515.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia is currently $61,858.00.

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.

1.59% of households in Wetzel 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 Wetzel County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    24.52%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    27.20%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.38%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.94%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    10.14%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.23%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.59%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Wetzel County is $24,688.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Wetzel 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 Wetzel 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
    5.63%
  • Bachelor's degree
    16.89%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    8.06%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    66.65%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.77%

Employment

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

The total population of Wetzel County over the age of 16 is 12,012.

Of those people, a total of 45.80% 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 Wetzel County is 42.90%.

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 656 31.60% 24.20%
20 to 24 years 824 63.70% 4.60%
25 to 29 years 799 65.80% 21.90%
30 to 34 years 686 66.00% 9.30%
35 to 44 years 1,502 57.30% 5.50%
45 to 54 years 1,920 72.30% 4.80%
55 to 59 years 1,292 58.80% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 973 40.00% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 1,901 17.20% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,459 4.30% 11.10%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Wetzel 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 11,701 45.90% 6.30%
Black or African American 16 56.30% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 25 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 270 46.70% 11.10%
Hispanic or Latino 27 0.00% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 11,690 45.90% 6.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Wetzel 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 Wetzel County is 5,148, with median earnings of $37,143.00.

Women in Wetzel County, West Virginia earning approximately 50.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 5,148 $37,143.00
Male 2,969 $45,241.00
Female 2,179 $23,017.00

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 256 $68,056.00
Business and Financial 120 $56,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 4 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 74 $75,568.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 51 $84,688.00
Community and Social Service 87 $43,608.00
Legal 12 $0.00
Educational and Library 320 $38,598.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 182 $36,974.00
Healthcare Support 236 $21,676.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 104 $46,731.00
Law Enforcement 54 $37,750.00
Food Preparation and Serving 244 $11,935.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 111 $20,089.00
Personal Care and Service 94 $10,000.00
Sales 466 $21,190.00
Office and Administrative Support 663 $31,989.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 18 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 481 $53,413.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 250 $45,750.00
Production 548 $46,184.00
Transportation and Material Moving 472 $36,898.00

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 127 $107,875.00 129 $53,109.00
Business and Financial 70 $53,913.00 50 $58,636.00
Computer and Mathematical 4 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 74 $75,568.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 44 $98,077.00 7 $0.00
Community and Social Service 14 $0.00 73 $43,325.00
Legal 12 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 61 $53,281.00 259 $37,819.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 36 $0.00 146 $35,526.00
Healthcare Support 27 $32,589.00 209 $21,662.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 104 $46,731.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 48 $37,750.00 6 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 40 $5,833.00 204 $12,258.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 100 $20,357.00 11 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 16 $0.00 78 $8,462.00
Sales 201 $34,250.00 265 $18,162.00
Office and Administrative Support 120 $34,138.00 543 $29,688.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 18 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 468 $53,622.00 13 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 250 $45,750.00 0 $0.00
Production 475 $51,042.00 73 $28,706.00
Transportation and Material Moving 423 $38,068.00 49 $20,625.00

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 5,603 households in Wetzel County, with an average household size of 2.58 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 3,495 families in Wetzel County with an average family size of 3.25 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 2,646 252 597 2,108
Average Household Size 3.09 3.56 4.35 1.33
Total Families 2,646 252 597 0
Average Household Size 3.09 2.79 4.14 0

Poverty

Of the 3,495 families in Wetzel County, 12.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Wetzel 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 7,351 housing units in Wetzel County, West Virginia.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,603 76.22%
Vacant 1,748 23.78%

9.78% of the total 7,351 housing units in Wetzel County are rental units. This is approximately 719 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 4,582 are occupied by the owner - or 62.33% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Wetzel County is $753.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Wetzel 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
    302
  • Less than $500
    149
  • $500 to $999
    498
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    44
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    28
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Wetzel County is $100,100.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    912
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,376
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,044
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    654
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    426
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    130
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    28
  • $1,000,000 or more
    12

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,898
  • 1940 to 1949
    508
  • 1950 to 1959
    854
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,082
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,177
  • 1980 to 1989
    724
  • 1990 to 1999
    625
  • 2000 to 2009
    380
  • 2010 to 2013
    103
  • 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 Wetzel County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    359
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,128
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,106
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,010

Commuting to Work

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

28.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Wetzel 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
    340
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    629
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    772
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    554
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    427
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    266
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    468
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    130
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    143
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    424
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    517
  • 90 or more minutes
    258

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia

We have data for 9 places in Wetzel County, West Virginia. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.