Jackson County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54035 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Jackson County has a population of 27,705 residents and a median age of 43.4 years, making it the #1,556 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.5%. The median home value is $157,200, and the median household income is $58,845, which is 22% below the national median.

27,705
Population
#1,556 of 3,222
$58,845
Median Income
-21.7% #2,187 of 3,222
43.4 years
Median Age
+11.6% #1,105 of 3,222
18.5%
Poverty Rate
+46.4% #2,516 of 3,222

Demographics

Jackson County has a population of 27,705, making it the #1,556 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% 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 Jackson County is $58,845, ranking #2,187 out of 3,222 counties — 21.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.5% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.

Income#2,187
$58,845
-21.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Per Capita#1,598
$34,967
-15.3%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poverty#2,516
18.5%
+46.4%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#2,103
5.1%
-3.1%
vs nation
35th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jackson County is $157,200 (-44.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $716/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.6%.

Home Value#2,095
$157,200
-44.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Rent#2,666
$716
-38.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Homeownership#850
78.6%
+22.1%
vs nation
74th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jackson County, 19.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.8% below the national average, ranking #2,073 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.6% −41.8% vs nation
Rank #2,073 of 3,222
36th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jackson County is 73.2 years. 21.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,181
73.2
-2.6%
vs nation
29th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,124
21.4%
+9.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Diabetes#2,227
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
29th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,009
43.9%
+17.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,014
6.7
+19.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,995
5.6
+26.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Uninsured Rate#847
7.1%
-32.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,887
27.4%
+3.9%
vs nation
40th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,141
15.9%
+10.4%
vs nation
32th percentile

Substance Use

19.4% of adults in Jackson County smoke , 37.1% are obese , and 17.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,120
19.4%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,179
37.1%
-2.1%
vs nation
63th percentile
Excessive Drinking#636
17.3%
-13.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,920
57.2
+76.9%
vs nation
9th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 21.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,703
21.1
+7.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,173
16.3
-8.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,586
20.1
-0.9%
vs nation
44th percentile

Families & Children

19.6% of children in Jackson County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 27.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,177
27.7
+26.9%
vs nation
27th percentile
Child Poverty#1,865
19.6%
+3.2%
vs nation
41th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jackson County is 60.1%. The mean commute time is 31.4 min, which is 13.7% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.4 min +13.7% vs nation
Rank #678 of 3,222
79th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jackson County voted Republican with a margin of 56.3%. The vote was 21% Dem / 77.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +56.3%
21% 77.3%
Dem 12,822 votes Rep
2020 REP +51.0%
23.7% 74.7%
Dem 13,508 votes Rep
2016 REP +52.1%
21.9% 74%
Dem 12,108 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.8%
33.4% 64.2%
Dem 11,465 votes Rep
2008 REP +18.7%
39.8% 58.5%
Dem 12,225 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jackson County, West Virginia

Jackson County, West Virginia has a total population of 27,705, making it the 1,556th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jackson County is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jackson County is $58,845, which ranks #2,187 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.

The median home value in Jackson County is $157,200, 44.2% below the national median. Renters in Jackson County pay a median gross rent of $716 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jackson County, 19.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.4 min.

Jackson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.1%).

All data for Jackson 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.