WV continues population loss despite influx of new residents in eastern Panhandle
By Matthew Young, RealWV
For several years now, West Virginia’s population loss has been a significant point of concern. And while select areas have seemingly become immune to this issue, with a small number of counties even seeing their numbers grow, as a whole, the Mountain State’s population is considerably smaller than it was just 10 years ago.
This sustained decline continues to impact West Virginia at both the state and national level. After the 2020 census, West Virginia lost a congressional representative in Washington, and saw its electoral votes reduced from five, to four. And more locally, while the annual tradition of public school closings and consolidations is not solely due to population loss, it is predominantly driven by it.
According to reporting from Axios, and information verified by the United States Census Bureau, 47 of West Virginia’s 55 counties have lost population in the period from 2014 until 2024. Kanawha, the state’s most densely-populated county, decreased by approximately 7,500 residents, or four-percent. Conversely, Berkeley – the state’s second-most densely-populated county – has grown its population by nearly 13,000 residents, or just over 11%.
The differentiator, as it so often is with real estate, is location.
Berkeley County, as well as Jefferson and Hardy Counties, are located in the eastern Panhandle-region – an area which has grown in popularity for those who work in, and commute to, Washington, D.C. And while other eastern Panhandle-region counties – Morgan, Mineral, Hampshire, and Grant – are down approximately 2,400 residents combined, the area still experienced a net gain of some 12,000 residents.
Monongalia and Preston Counties have also experienced mild population growth, as has Pleasants. The commonality here seems to be that all three are border states, and their Pennsylvania and Ohio counterparts to the north have all seen a mild population decrease similar in number to the southern increase.
Lewis and Putnam Counties are the only other West Virginia counties to see their populations grow over the past decade, with approximately 500 and 600 residents respectively. On the flip side, Calhoun County’s 16.7% decrease represents the largest population loss per capita in the state.
West Virginia’s population flux from 2014 until 2024:
| Barbour: -7.6% | Berkeley: +11.2% | Boone: -6.6% | Braxton: -13.6% | Brooke: -9.3% |
| Cabell: -2.1% | Calhoun: -16.7% | Clay: -9.6% | Doddridge: -9.0% | Fayette: -9.4% |
| Gilmer: -10.1% | Grant: -5.7% | Greenbrier: -7.5% | Hampshire: -0.1% | Hancock: -3.4% |
| Hardy: +2.8% | Harrison: -4.1% | Jackson: -4.4% | Jefferson: +4.2% | Kanawha: -4.0% |
| Lewis: +3.3% | Lincoln: -4.3% | Logan: -5.8% | Marion: -0.8% | Marshall: -4.8% |
| Mason: -6.4% | McDowell: -4.2% | Mercer: -2.4% | Mineral: -1.3% | Mingo: -7.1% |
| Monongalia +1.2% | Monroe: -7.9% | Morgan: – 1.7% | Nicholas: -3.5% | Ohio: -1.5% |
| Pendleton: – 13.4% | Pleasants: +0.9% | Pocahontas: -7.9% | Preston:+1.1% | Putnam: +1.1% |
| Raleigh: -3.4% | Randolph: -4.4% | Ritchie: -15.7% | Roane: -2.0% | Summers: -9.1% |
| Taylor: -2.4% | Tucker: -4.7% | Tyler: -8.2% | Upshur: – 3.4% | Wayne: -5.4% |
| Webster: -3.1% | Wetzel: -8.8% | Wirt: -11.5% | Wood: -2.0% | Wyoming: -3.5% |
