County profile

Pocahontas County

West Virginia · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
7,784
Median household income
$42,119
People below poverty
22.5%
Median home value
$152,400

Income

The median income of households in Pocahontas County, West Virginia was $42,119. An estimated 9.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 1.9% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 9.3
$10,000 to $14,999 6.4
$15,000 to $24,999 11.5
$25,000 to $34,999 10.9
$35,000 to $49,999 17.3
$50,000 to $74,999 15.7
$75,000 to $99,999 15.9
$100,000 to $149,999 8.3
$150,000 to $199,999 2.8
$200,000 or more 1.9

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 40556
Female 36389

An estimated 61.7% of households received earnings. An estimated 50.5% of households received Social Security and an estimated 37.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $21,224. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 61.7
Social Security 50.5
Retirement income 37.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 5.4
Cash public assistance income 3.1

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 22.5 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 26.2% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 12.2% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 26.5% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 22.5
Children under 18 years below poverty 26.2
People 65 years old and over below poverty 12.2
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 26.5

In 2020-2024, 21.7 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 40.1% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 39.3% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 15.5% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024, 93.9% had health insurance coverage and 6.1% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 54.9% and public coverage was 60.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 1.3%.


In 2020-2024, Pocahontas County, West Virginia had a total population of 7,784 - 3,693 (47.4%) females and 4,091 (52.6%) males. The median age was 49.5 years. An estimated 17.7% of the population was under 18 years, 24.2% was 19 to 44 years, 27.8% was 45 to 64 years, and 27.1 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 208 161
5 to 9 223 121
10 to 14 140 277
15 to 19 306 197
20 to 24 101 153
25 to 29 180 159
30 to 34 258 191
35 to 39 295 150
40 to 44 161 237
45 to 49 237 195
50 to 54 245 216
55 to 59 293 259
60 to 64 394 319
65 to 69 287 370
70 to 74 310 236
75 to 79 231 194
80 to 84 104 113
85 and over 118 145

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 93.7% were White; 0.5% were Black or African American; 15% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.1% were Asian; 0.2% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 4.1% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 1.7% of the people in Pocahontas County, West Virginia were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 93.7% of the people in Pocahontas County, West Virginia were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 3,181 households in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The average household size was 2.34 people.

Married-couple households made up 45.6% of the households in Pocahontas County, West Virginia while cohabiting couple households made up 5.2% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.5% of all households, while 22.7% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 17.5% of households were male householders living alone, and 19.9% were female householders living alone, for a total of 37.4% of all households.

In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, 19.1% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 48% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 45.6
Cohabiting Couples 5.2
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
22.7
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.5

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 45.5% of males and 52.2% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 33.3 19.4
Now married, except separated 45.5 52.2
Separated 1.1 1.2
Widowed 8 11.8
Divorced 12 15.4

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, 91 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 31.9% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 99.4% of the people living in Pocahontas County, West Virginia were U.S. natives. 72% of the Pocahontas County, West Virginia population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 0.6% of Pocahontas County, West Virginia residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 77.3% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 77.3 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Pocahontas County, West Virginia come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 0
Asia 22.7
Europe 77.3
Africa 0
Northern America 0
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024, 0.7 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.4% of people at least five years old; 0% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 0.4
Other Indo-European languages 0.2
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.1
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 91.2 % of the people at least one year old living in Pocahontas County, West Virginia were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 91.2
Different house, same county 4.5
Different county, same state 2.4
Different state 1.9
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 85.7 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 19.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 14.3% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Pocahontas County, West Virginia was 1,314 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 63 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 1,058. College or graduate school enrollment was 193.

Educational Attainment of People in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 14.3
High school diploma or equivalency 45.1
Some college, no degree 14
Associate's degree 6.9
Bachelor's degree 11.4
Graduate or professional degree 8.3

Disability

In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 22 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 4.4% of people under 18 years old, to 21% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 35.8% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, 37.7 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 56.9% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 66.8% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 25.8% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 6.3 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 1,656 66.8
Federal, state, or local government workers 641 25.8
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 155 6.3

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Pocahontas County, West Virginia worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 6
Construction 11.3
Manufacturing 7.2
Wholesale trade 0.1
Retail trade 15.6
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.5
Information 0.4
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 3.1
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 9.9
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 22.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6.9
Other Services, except public administration 2.7
Public administration 8.7

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 717 28.9
Service occupations 391 15.8
Sales and office occupations 636 25.6
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 287 11.6
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 449 18.1

Commuting to Work

An estimated 74.6% of Pocahontas County, West Virginia workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 10% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 22.8 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 74.6
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 10
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0
Walked 3.9
Other means 2.3
Worked from home 9.1

In 2020-2024, Pocahontas County, West Virginia had a total of 6,834 housing units. Of these housing units, 65.4% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 20.3% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 14.1% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 65.4
Apartments in multi-unit structures 20.3
Mobile homes 14.1
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

5.2% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 13.1% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Pocahontas County, West Virginia was 5.1 rooms, and of these housing units 51.6% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Pocahontas County, West Virginia had 3,181 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 3,653 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 83.6% while renters occupied 16.4%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.37 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.19.

3.6% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 18.8% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 6.5% and another 25% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Pocahontas County, West Virginia:

House Heating Fuel Used in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 27.8
Electricity 37.3
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 7.1
All other fuels 27.7
No fuel used 0.3

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Pocahontas County, West Virginia was $152,400.

Of the owner-occupied households, 37.1 % had a mortgage. 62.9% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,090 and for owners without a mortgage it was $338.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Pocahontas County, West Virginia was $715. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.