Gilmer County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54021 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Gilmer County has a population of 7,288 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #2,717 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.0%. The median home value is $83,800, and the median household income is $47,981, which is 36% below the national median.

7,288
Population
#2,717 of 3,222
$47,981
Median Income
-36.2% #2,871 of 3,222
41.5 years
Median Age
+6.7% #1,669 of 3,222
19.0%
Poverty Rate
+50.7% #2,566 of 3,222

Demographics

Gilmer County has a population of 7,288, making it the #2,717 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.6%
Native Born
3.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Gilmer County is $47,981, ranking #2,871 out of 3,222 counties — 36.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.0% and unemployment stands at 6.8%.

Income#2,871
$47,981
-36.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Per Capita#3,121
$20,425
-50.5%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poverty#2,566
19.0%
+50.7%
vs nation
20th percentile
Unemployment#2,760
6.8%
+28.1%
vs nation
14th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Gilmer County is $83,800 (-70.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $750/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.6%.

Home Value#3,142
$83,800
-70.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Rent#2,479
$750
-35.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Homeownership#1,427
75.6%
+17.5%
vs nation
56th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Gilmer County, 18.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.0% below the national average, ranking #2,255 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.5% −45.0% vs nation
Rank #2,255 of 3,222
30th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Gilmer County is 75.2 years. 24.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,557
75.2
0.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,633
24.3%
+24.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#2,601
13.2%
+18.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,888
42.7%
+14.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,738
6.3
+12.2%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,773
5.3
+18.0%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,489
9.1%
-13.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,594
31.2%
+18.3%
vs nation
18th percentile
Food Insecurity#708
11.6%
-19.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Substance Use

19.6% of adults in Gilmer County smoke , 40.3% are obese , and 17.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,186
19.6%
+9.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,166
40.3%
+6.3%
vs nation
31th percentile
Excessive Drinking#733
17.6%
-11.3%
vs nation
77th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.0 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,815
22.0
+8.5%
vs nation
36th percentile

Families & Children

24.4% of children in Gilmer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#931
15.2
-30.6%
vs nation
69th percentile
Child Poverty#2,456
24.4%
+28.5%
vs nation
22th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Gilmer County is 40.4%. The mean commute time is 35.2 min, which is 27.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
40.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.2 min +27.5% vs nation
Rank #273 of 3,222
92th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Gilmer County voted Republican with a margin of 57.0%. The vote was 20.7% Dem / 77.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +57.0%
20.7% 77.7%
Dem 2,344 votes Rep
2020 REP +53.1%
22.5% 75.6%
Dem 2,662 votes Rep
2016 REP +53.5%
21.2% 74.7%
Dem 2,528 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.3%
33.4% 63.7%
Dem 2,482 votes Rep
2008 REP +17.5%
39.8% 57.3%
Dem 2,521 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Gilmer County, West Virginia

Gilmer County, West Virginia has a total population of 7,288, making it the 2,717th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Gilmer County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Gilmer County is $47,981, which ranks #2,871 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 36.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.8%.

The median home value in Gilmer County is $83,800, 70.3% below the national median. Renters in Gilmer County pay a median gross rent of $750 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Gilmer County, 18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.2 min.

Gilmer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (13.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.1%).

All data for Gilmer 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.