Barbour County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54001 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Barbour County has a population of 15,424 residents and a median age of 42.2 years, making it the #2,132 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.0%. The median home value is $131,900, and the median household income is $51,394, which is 32% below the national median.

15,424
Population
#2,132 of 3,222
$51,394
Median Income
-31.6% #2,698 of 3,222
42.2 years
Median Age
+8.5% #1,448 of 3,222
20.0%
Poverty Rate
+58.5% #2,670 of 3,222

Demographics

Barbour County has a population of 15,424, making it the #2,132 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.6%
Native Born
0.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Barbour County is $51,394, ranking #2,698 out of 3,222 counties — 31.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.0% and unemployment stands at 8.5%.

Income#2,698
$51,394
-31.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,702
$28,037
-32.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poverty#2,670
20.0%
+58.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Unemployment#2,993
8.5%
+59.9%
vs nation
7th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Barbour County is $131,900 (-53.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $803/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.3%.

Home Value#2,492
$131,900
-53.2%
vs nation
23th percentile
Rent#2,077
$803
-31.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Homeownership#906
78.3%
+21.6%
vs nation
72th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Barbour County, 12.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.9% below the national average, ranking #3,069 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.5% −62.9% vs nation
Rank #3,069 of 3,222
5th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Barbour County is 72.0 years. 25.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,491
72.0
-4.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,804
25.6%
+30.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Diabetes#2,649
13.4%
+20.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,035
44.2%
+18.5%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,108
7.0
+24.8%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,098
6.0
+33.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,035
7.6%
-27.7%
vs nation
67th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,833
33.3%
+26.2%
vs nation
10th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,140
15.9%
+10.4%
vs nation
32th percentile

Substance Use

25.1% of adults in Barbour County smoke , 40.8% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 38.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,021
25.1%
+39.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,318
40.8%
+7.6%
vs nation
26th percentile
Excessive Drinking#401
16.2%
-18.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,534
38.0
+17.6%
vs nation
27th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,113
25.6
+29.8%
vs nation
17th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,766
21.2
+18.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,128
25.5
+26.0%
vs nation
25th percentile

Families & Children

25.1% of children in Barbour County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,659
21.9
+0.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Child Poverty#2,517
25.1%
+32.2%
vs nation
20th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Barbour County is 50.4%. The mean commute time is 33.8 min, which is 22.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
50.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.8 min +22.4% vs nation
Rank #391 of 3,222
88th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Barbour County voted Republican with a margin of 60.6%. The vote was 18.7% Dem / 79.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +60.6%
18.7% 79.3%
Dem 6,395 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.8%
21.8% 76.6%
Dem 6,677 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.8%
20.1% 74.9%
Dem 6,024 votes Rep
2012 REP +35.7%
30.7% 66.4%
Dem 5,733 votes Rep
2008 REP +20.3%
38.8% 59.1%
Dem 6,232 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Barbour County, West Virginia

Barbour County, West Virginia has a total population of 15,424, making it the 2,132nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Barbour County is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Barbour County is $51,394, which ranks #2,698 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.5%.

The median home value in Barbour County is $131,900, 53.2% below the national median. Renters in Barbour County pay a median gross rent of $803 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Barbour County, 12.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.8 min.

Barbour County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.5%).

All data for Barbour County, West Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.