West Virginia

Home/West Virginia West Virginia State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 90 10% below the U.S. average Median home value $155,600 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +32.7% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $850 national $1,348 Homeownership 74% national 65% Unemployment 3.9% national 3.6% Household income $57,917 national $78,538 Median age 42.7 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 10% below the national average. The median home is valued at $155,600 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 33% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $850 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.9% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $57,917. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, West Virginia saw a net gain of 839 tax-filing households and a net gain of 3,106 individuals. Against a population of about 1,770,071, that is a net inflow of about 1.8 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area gained $9.5M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 3,792 households, came from Virginia; the largest outflow, about 3,157 households, went to Ohio. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 1,987 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) +$9.5M nominal dollars Net households +839 tax returns Net people +3,106 exemptions +1.8 net people per 1,000 residents (population 1,770,071) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$1.2B Moved out$1.2B Net +$9.5M (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com West Virginia counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1Virginia3,792$255.9M2Ohio2,705$122.4M3Maryland2,549$160.4M4Pennsylvania1,981$118.2M5Florida1,581$85.1M6North Carolina1,080$53.5M7Kentucky735$32.5M8Texas600$38.8M9South Carolina524$28.7M10California473$31.9M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1Ohio3,157$158.5M2Virginia2,725$154.7M3Pennsylvania1,931$113.7M4Maryland1,608$86.5M5Florida1,562$140.6M6North Carolina1,487$93.4M7Kentucky936$48.3M8South Carolina823$60.1M9Texas711$51.3M10Tennessee579$30.9M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. Virginia 3,792 2,725 +1,067 +$101.2M Ohio 2,705 3,157 -452 -$36.1M Maryland 2,549 1,608 +941 +$73.9M Pennsylvania 1,981 1,931 +50 +$4.5M Florida 1,581 1,562 +19 -$55.5M North Carolina 1,080 1,487 -407 -$39.9M Kentucky 735 936 -201 -$15.8M South Carolina 524 823 -299 -$31.4M Texas 600 711 -111 -$12.4M Tennessee 426 579 -153 -$10.1M California 473 334 +139 +$8.6M Georgia 382 408 -26 -$3.9M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: -$1.5B (-25,865 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 -$176.8M -48 2013 -$68.9M -1,885 2014 -$112M -3,737 2015 -$131.1M -3,111 2016 -$234.3M -6,098 2017 -$312.5M -8,348 2018 -$195M -4,193 2019 -$212.5M -5,299 2020 -$68.9M -302 2021 +$33.2M +2,063 2022 -$44M +1,987 2023 +$9.5M +3,106 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 3,106 more people moved into West Virginia than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net gain of about $9.5M in income (nominal) — in a state of 1,770,036 people. Population 1,770,036 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate +1.8 net people per 1,000 residents A town of 10,000 would net about +18 people. Net income per resident +$5 nominal dollars ≈ +$9.5M total across 1,770,036 residents. The rate lets you compare West Virginia with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +16,983 Deaths 25,805 Net domestic migration +3,348 Net international migration +1,750 Total change 3,967 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around West Virginia run about 10% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $112 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $52,963 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 24% below the U.S. average Price level 89.6 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 10.4% lower than average What that income buys $59,089 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 16% below the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents56.2 Goods95.7 Utilities87.8 Other services99.9 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of West Virginia American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 42.7 years Median household income $57,917 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 26% below the U.S. median College degree 23% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 16.6% residents below the poverty line Average commute 27 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 84% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 90%Hispanic 2%Black 3%Asian 1%Other 4% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $155,600 owner-occupied homes 49% below the U.S. median Median rent $850 gross rent per month 37% below the U.S. median Homeownership 74% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +6.3% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +33% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 4,014new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 82%Multifamily 18% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 3.9% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 788,791 758,311 employed Disaster declarations — major federal, 2023 Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 3.6% May 2026 ▼ 0.1 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into West Virginia minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k +60 In 2,333Out 2,273+$352K AGI $10k–$25k +8 In 4,536Out 4,528-$575K AGI $25k–$50k 171 In 5,537Out 5,708-$5.2M AGI $50k–$75k +356 In 3,194Out 2,838+$22M AGI $75k–$100k +267 In 1,893Out 1,626+$23.5M AGI $100k–$200k +400 In 2,603Out 2,203+$55.9M AGI $200k+ 104 In 714Out 818-$83.4M AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), West Virginia ranks #26 of 51 states for net household migration (-104). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What West Virginia ships and receives Physical goods shipped between West Virginia and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $46.1B Ships to other states +21% since 2017 $63.0B Receives from states +33% since 2017 $16.8B Net balance Top goods shipped out Coal $11.6B Mixed freight $6.2B Machinery $5.3B Base metal in primary or semi-finished forms and in finished basic shapes $4.6B Plastics and rubber $4.5B Basic chemicals $3.0B Top goods received Mixed freight $7.8B Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel $7.4B Base metal in primary or semi-finished forms and in finished basic shapes $4.0B Plastics and rubber $3.8B Machinery $3.5B Fuel oils $3.2B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means West Virginia ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Ohio $7.3B $10.4B -$3.1B $17.7B Pennsylvania $5.7B $10.9B -$5.2B $16.6B Kentucky — $13.7B — $13.7B Virginia $6.3B $3.6B +$2.7B $10.0B Indiana $3.6B $1.9B +$1.6B $5.5B California $1.9B $2.8B -$940M $4.7B Maryland $2.7B $1.9B +$769M $4.7B New York $2.6B $1.0B +$1.6B $3.6B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between West Virginia and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What West Virginia collects in taxes Total state taxes $7.6B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $4,320 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) Individual income tax$2.7B 35% General sales & gross receipts$1.8B 24% Severance taxes$840.3M 11% Other selective sales tax$677.3M 9% Motor fuels sales tax$432.4M 6% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How West Virginia has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 214,309 533,556 14,525 R +41.9 762,390 2020 235,984 545,382 13,286 R +38.9 794,652 2016 188,794 489,371 34,886 R +42.2 713,051 2012 238,269 417,655 14,516 R +26.8 670,440 2008 303,857 397,466 12,128 R +13.1 713,451 2004 326,541 423,550 5,568 R +12.8 755,659 2000 295,497 336,475 16,152 R +6.3 648,124 1996 327,812 233,946 74,701 D +14.7 636,459 1992 331,001 241,974 110,702 D +13.0 683,677 1988 341,016 310,065 2,230 D +4.7 653,311 1984 328,125 405,483 2,134 R +10.5 735,742 1980 367,462 334,206 36,047 D +4.5 737,715 1976 435,864 314,726 0 D +16.1 750,590 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2024 Jim Justice 207,548 514,079 26,090 R +41.0 2020 Shelley Moore Capito 210,309 547,454 21,155 R +43.3 2018 Joe Manchin 288,808 269,872 24,231 D +3.2 2014 Shelley Moore Capito 156,360 281,820 15,479 R +27.7 2012 Joe Manchin Iii 399,898 240,787 19,517 D +24.1 2010special Joe Manchin Iii 283,358 230,013 16,577 D +10.1 2008 John D. Rockefeller Iv 447,560 254,629 — D +27.5 2006 Robert C. Byrd 159,154 47,408 — D +54.1 2002 John D. Rockefeller Iv 275,281 160,902 — D +26.2 2000 Robert C. Byrd 469,215 121,635 12,627 D +57.6 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 0 R 2 2022 D 0 R 2 2020 D 0 R 3 2018 D 0 R 3 2016 D 0 R 3 2014 D 0 R 3 2012 D 1 R 2 2010 D 1 R 2 2008 D 2 R 1 2006 D 2 R 1 2004 D 2 R 1 2002 D 2 R 1 2000 D 2 R 1 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in West Virginia (55) Barbour CountyBerkeley CountyBoone CountyBraxton CountyBrooke CountyCabell CountyCalhoun CountyClay CountyDoddridge CountyFayette CountyGilmer CountyGrant CountyGreenbrier CountyHampshire CountyHancock CountyHardy CountyHarrison CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyKanawha CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyLogan CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMason CountyMcDowell CountyMercer CountyMineral CountyMingo CountyMonongalia CountyMonroe CountyMorgan CountyNicholas CountyOhio CountyPendleton CountyPleasants CountyPocahontas CountyPreston CountyPutnam CountyRaleigh CountyRandolph CountyRitchie CountyRoane CountySummers CountyTaylor CountyTucker CountyTyler CountyUpshur CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWetzel CountyWirt CountyWood CountyWyoming County Get the next update for West Virginia The IRS releases new migration data once a year. Drop your email and we will send the refreshed numbers when they land. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Email address