The U.S. Census has released a wealth of data from the 2020 survey. Here are some characteristics about West Virginia that caught my eye:
–West Virginia continues to lose people. The state’s population dropped by 3.3 percent between 2010 and 2020, down to 1,792,147. Two other states lost population during the decade, but Mississippi’s decline was just two-tenths of a percent, while Illinois dropped by just one-tenth of a percent.
–Eight West Virginia counties gained population over the decade, led by Berkeley with an increase of 17 percent. Monongalia was next at 10 percent, followed by Jefferson at 8 percent, Lewis at 4 percent, Putnam at 3.5 percent, Preston at 2.1 percent, Hardy at 2 percent and Pleasants at 0.6 percent.
–Our population is older than most states. Twenty-one percent of West Virginians are 65 or over. The national average is 17 percent. Berkeley County has the highest percentage of young people; 24 percent of the population is under the age of 18.
–West Virginia is one of the least ethnically diverse states. Ninety-two percent of the state’s residents are White, compared with 58 percent nationally. Four percent are Black, compared with 12 percent nationally. Less than two percent of our population is Hispanic, while Hispanics or Latinos now make up 19 percent of the U.S. population.
–The state’s largest county, Kanawha, saw a population decline of over 12,000 during the past decade, down to 180,745. That is a drop of just over six percent. Pendleton County had the biggest population drop by percentage, 20.2 percent.
–West Virginia has a higher home ownership rate than the rest of the country—73 percent to 64 percent. However, those homes are only about half the value of the U.S. average–$120,000 compared with $218,000.
–A language other than English in spoken in the homes of 22 percent of Americans, compared with just three percent in our state.
–West Virginia has a broadband deficit, but the Census data show the divide between us and the rest of the country is modest. Seventy-six percent of West Virginia households report they have a broadband subscription, while nationally it is 83 percent. To learn more about how to handle business data, check this post about the Microsoft Power BI training course.
–Fourteen percent of our population under 65 have a disability. The national average is just under nine percent.
–Just over half of the state’s population—53 percent—is in the civilian labor force, compared with 63 percent across the rest of the country.
–We have more veterans per capita that most states. Seven percent of West Virginians have served in the military, compared with 5.5 percent nationally.
–Yes, we are poorer than most. Our median annual household income is $46,711. That is $16,000 less than the national average. Sixteen percent of West Virginians live in poverty, compared with 11 percent nationally.
It is easy to make assumptions about our state, but it is critical to have accurate data that tell us more about who we are. The 2020 Census is loaded with valuable statistical information that will help policy makers, business leaders, educators and others better understand our state and plot the necessary course corrections for improvement.