Fayette County, West Virginia
Located in West Virginia, Fayette County has a population of 39,519 residents and a median age of 44.7 years, making it the #1,224 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.2%. The median home value is $105,800, and the median household income is $53,194, which is 29% below the national median.
Demographics
Fayette County has a population of 39,519, making it the #1,224 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Fayette County is $53,194, ranking #2,585 out of 3,222 counties — 29.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.2% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Fayette County is $105,800 (-62.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $788/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Fayette County, 15.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.0% below the national average, ranking #2,691 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Fayette County is 69.8 years. 27.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
25.3% of adults in Fayette County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 16.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 99.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Fayette County is 6.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.4% of children in Fayette County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 33.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Fayette County is 49.5%. The mean commute time is 32.1 min, which is 16.4% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Fayette County voted Republican with a margin of 41.7%. The vote was 28.1% Dem / 69.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Fayette County, West Virginia
Fayette County, West Virginia has a total population of 39,519, making it the 1,224th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fayette County is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Fayette County is $53,194, which ranks #2,585 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.
The median home value in Fayette County is $105,800, 62.5% below the national median. Renters in Fayette County pay a median gross rent of $788 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Fayette County, 15.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.1 min.
Fayette County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
All data for Fayette 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.