Recently released U.S. Census data contain both good and bad news for West Virginia.
First the bad news. The state’s overall population dropped again. The number of state residents was 1,775,156 as of July 2022. That is a decline of 18,599 from April 2020, and a continuation of the population decrease that started at the midway point of the last century.
The primary reason for the most recent decline is that deaths outnumbered births. During that roughly two-year period, West Virginia recorded 62,986 deaths, but only 39,084 births, so the natural decline was 23,902.
But here is where the good news comes in.
During that same time, West Virginia had a net migration of 4,996. Those people moving into the state helped offset the steady population decline. Dr. John Deskins, Director of WVU’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, says more importantly the number suggests a reversal of the trend of people leaving the state.
“I think that this may be some early signal that our hope around remote work for West Virginia is working,” he said on Talkline recently. “Maybe this is an indicator that we are getting those remote workers to move into the state and help boost our population numbers.”
In other words, if more people can work anywhere, why not live here where the cost of living is lower, where there is plenty of land and lots of outdoor recreational opportunities?
Marshall University President Brad Smith and his wife Alys have sweetened the pot with the Ascend West Virginia program. The Smith family used their own money to create a fund that pays qualifying individuals $12,000 to move here.
Meanwhile, the state is enjoying a record number of economic development announcements. Most have their roots in the fast-emerging green economy, like Nucor, which is building a state-of-the-art steel mill in Mason County. Hundreds of new jobs are being added to the economy, and some of those jobs will be filled by individuals moving here.
And that is a gain for the state.
It means more people generating wealth that spreads throughout the economy. More tax revenue will pay for the services people need and desire. Even more businesses are created because of increased demand. Property values rise. Communities are exposed to more diversity and new ideas.
We still have a long way to go before West Virginia becomes a net population growth state, but at least there are signs that the “brain drain” of the last half century is slowing and the traffic on the Hillbilly Highway to a better life south of here is not as heavy.