Hardy County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54031 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Hardy County has a population of 14,243 residents and a median age of 46.7 years, making it the #2,208 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.7%. The median home value is $166,300, and the median household income is $49,272, which is 34% below the national median.

14,243
Population
#2,208 of 3,222
$49,272
Median Income
-34.4% #2,810 of 3,222
46.7 years
Median Age
+20.1% #521 of 3,222
17.7%
Poverty Rate
+40.4% #2,407 of 3,222

Demographics

Hardy County has a population of 14,243, making it the #2,208 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hardy County is $49,272, ranking #2,810 out of 3,222 counties — 34.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.7% and unemployment stands at 7.3%.

Income#2,810
$49,272
-34.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Per Capita#2,466
$29,801
-27.8%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poverty#2,407
17.7%
+40.4%
vs nation
25th percentile
Unemployment#2,859
7.3%
+38.4%
vs nation
11th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hardy County is $166,300 (-41.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $816/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.3%.

Home Value#1,883
$166,300
-41.0%
vs nation
41th percentile
Rent#1,993
$816
-29.8%
vs nation
38th percentile
Homeownership#1,082
77.3%
+20.1%
vs nation
66th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hardy County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.5% below the national average, ranking #2,724 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.7% −53.5% vs nation
Rank #2,724 of 3,222
15th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hardy County is 72.7 years. 26.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,337
72.7
-3.3%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,893
26.6%
+36.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,787
13.9%
+24.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,008
43.9%
+17.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,125
7.2
+27.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,083
5.9
+31.7%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,209
8.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
62th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,845
33.4%
+26.6%
vs nation
10th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,486
13.9%
-3.5%
vs nation
53th percentile

Substance Use

24.8% of adults in Hardy County smoke , 42.9% are obese , and 16.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 47.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,998
24.8%
+38.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,801
42.9%
+13.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Excessive Drinking#477
16.6%
-16.6%
vs nation
85th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,777
47.6
+47.3%
vs nation
16th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 29.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,288
29.1
+47.6%
vs nation
11th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,266
30.2
+69.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,071
24.7
+22.0%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

16.4% of children in Hardy County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,410
31.3
+43.3%
vs nation
20th percentile
Child Poverty#1,337
16.4%
-13.7%
vs nation
58th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hardy County is 59.3%. The mean commute time is 32.0 min, which is 16.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.0 min +16.1% vs nation
Rank #589 of 3,222
82th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hardy County voted Republican with a margin of 57.7%. The vote was 20.2% Dem / 77.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +57.7%
20.2% 77.9%
Dem 6,411 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.9%
21.8% 76.7%
Dem 6,331 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.8%
20.7% 75.5%
Dem 6,022 votes Rep
2012 REP +39.7%
28.7% 68.4%
Dem 5,149 votes Rep
2008 REP +27.2%
35.2% 62.4%
Dem 5,406 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hardy County, West Virginia

Hardy County, West Virginia has a total population of 14,243, making it the 2,208th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hardy County is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hardy County is $49,272, which ranks #2,810 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.3%.

The median home value in Hardy County is $166,300, 41.0% below the national median. Renters in Hardy County pay a median gross rent of $816 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hardy County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.0 min.

Hardy County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (4.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.6%).

All data for Hardy 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.