Braxton County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54007 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Braxton County has a population of 12,208 residents and a median age of 46.6 years, making it the #2,339 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.4%. The median home value is $117,900, and the median household income is $50,331, which is 33% below the national median.

12,208
Population
#2,339 of 3,222
$50,331
Median Income
-33.0% #2,753 of 3,222
46.6 years
Median Age
+19.8% #529 of 3,222
20.4%
Poverty Rate
+62.0% #2,706 of 3,222

Demographics

Braxton County has a population of 12,208, making it the #2,339 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.9%
Native Born
0.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Braxton County is $50,331, ranking #2,753 out of 3,222 counties — 33.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.4% and unemployment stands at 9.3%.

Income#2,753
$50,331
-33.0%
vs nation
15th percentile
Per Capita#2,926
$25,639
-37.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poverty#2,706
20.4%
+62.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#3,056
9.3%
+75.9%
vs nation
5th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Braxton County is $117,900 (-58.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $606/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.8%.

Home Value#2,714
$117,900
-58.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Rent#3,045
$606
-47.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Homeownership#1,199
76.8%
+19.3%
vs nation
63th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Braxton County, 14.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 57.3% below the national average, ranking #2,898 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.4% −57.3% vs nation
Rank #2,898 of 3,222
10th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Braxton County is 73.5 years. 26.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,089
73.5
-2.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,917
26.9%
+37.5%
vs nation
7th percentile
Diabetes#2,650
13.4%
+20.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,018
44.0%
+17.9%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,058
6.9
+21.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,114
6.1
+35.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,250
8.2%
-22.0%
vs nation
60th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,876
33.7%
+27.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,115
15.8%
+9.7%
vs nation
33th percentile

Substance Use

25.0% of adults in Braxton County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 16.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 68.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,013
25.0%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,926
39.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Excessive Drinking#500
16.7%
-16.0%
vs nation
84th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,020
68.2
+110.8%
vs nation
4th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,926
23.1
+17.3%
vs nation
25th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,221
28.7
+60.6%
vs nation
10th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,308
28.4
+40.5%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

24.3% of children in Braxton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,562
20.8
-4.8%
vs nation
48th percentile
Child Poverty#2,450
24.3%
+27.9%
vs nation
22th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Braxton County is 50.4%. The mean commute time is 36.4 min, which is 31.8% above the national average.

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

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
36.4 min +31.8% vs nation
Rank #193 of 3,222
94th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Braxton County voted Republican with a margin of 51.9%. The vote was 23.2% Dem / 75.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.9%
23.2% 75.1%
Dem 5,313 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.0%
25.7% 72.7%
Dem 5,664 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.4%
26% 69.4%
Dem 5,063 votes Rep
2012 REP +14.9%
41.7% 56.6%
Dem 4,756 votes Rep
2008 DEM +1.4%
50% 48.6%
Dem 5,408 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Braxton County, West Virginia

Braxton County, West Virginia has a total population of 12,208, making it the 2,339th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Braxton County is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Braxton County is $50,331, which ranks #2,753 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.3%.

The median home value in Braxton County is $117,900, 58.2% below the national median. Renters in Braxton County pay a median gross rent of $606 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Braxton County, 14.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.4 min.

Braxton County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (12.1%).

All data for Braxton 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.