Lewis County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54041 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Lewis County has a population of 16,740 residents and a median age of 43.0 years, making it the #2,054 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.1%. The median home value is $151,800, and the median household income is $56,477, which is 25% below the national median.

16,740
Population
#2,054 of 3,222
$56,477
Median Income
-24.8% #2,376 of 3,222
43.0 years
Median Age
+10.5% #1,221 of 3,222
16.1%
Poverty Rate
+27.9% #2,144 of 3,222

Demographics

Lewis County has a population of 16,740, making it the #2,054 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.7%
Native Born
0.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lewis County is $56,477, ranking #2,376 out of 3,222 counties — 24.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.1% and unemployment stands at 8.6%.

Income#2,376
$56,477
-24.8%
vs nation
26th percentile
Per Capita#1,696
$34,362
-16.7%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poverty#2,144
16.1%
+27.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Unemployment#2,999
8.6%
+62.3%
vs nation
7th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lewis County is $151,800 (-46.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $730/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.2%.

Home Value#2,212
$151,800
-46.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,588
$730
-37.2%
vs nation
20th percentile
Homeownership#1,985
72.2%
+12.1%
vs nation
38th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lewis County, 18.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.0% below the national average, ranking #2,207 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.9% −44.0% vs nation
Rank #2,207 of 3,222
32th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lewis County is 70.3 years. 24.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,829
70.3
-6.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,681
24.6%
+25.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Diabetes#2,471
12.8%
+15.0%
vs nation
21th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,062
44.7%
+19.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,102
7.0
+24.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,988
5.6
+25.8%
vs nation
5th percentile
Uninsured Rate#880
7.2%
-31.5%
vs nation
72th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,581
31.1%
+17.9%
vs nation
18th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,823
14.9%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile

Substance Use

22.9% of adults in Lewis County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 16.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 50.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,825
22.9%
+27.5%
vs nation
10th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,229
40.5%
+6.8%
vs nation
29th percentile
Excessive Drinking#528
16.8%
-15.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,828
50.5
+56.3%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 28.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,274
28.8
+46.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,246
29.5
+65.0%
vs nation
9th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,900
22.8
+12.7%
vs nation
33th percentile

Families & Children

20.2% of children in Lewis County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 16.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,361
16.2
+137.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,085
26.6
+22.0%
vs nation
31th percentile
Child Poverty#1,942
20.2%
+6.4%
vs nation
38th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lewis County is 59.3%. The mean commute time is 30.7 min, which is 11.4% above the national average.

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

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.7 min +11.4% vs nation
Rank #760 of 3,222
76th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lewis County voted Republican with a margin of 59.2%. The vote was 19.5% Dem / 78.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +59.2%
19.5% 78.7%
Dem 7,048 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.9%
20.6% 77.5%
Dem 7,457 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.8%
19.4% 76.2%
Dem 6,885 votes Rep
2012 REP +42.2%
27.5% 69.7%
Dem 6,243 votes Rep
2008 REP +33.8%
31.9% 65.7%
Dem 6,603 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lewis County, West Virginia

Lewis County, West Virginia has a total population of 16,740, making it the 2,054th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lewis County is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lewis County is $56,477, which ranks #2,376 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.6%.

The median home value in Lewis County is $151,800, 46.2% below the national median. Renters in Lewis County pay a median gross rent of $730 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lewis County, 18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.7 min.

Lewis County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.4%).

All data for Lewis 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.