Summers County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54089 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Summers County has a population of 11,729 residents and a median age of 50.6 years, making it the #2,373 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 23.8%. The median home value is $140,100, and the median household income is $40,699, which is 46% below the national median.

11,729
Population
#2,373 of 3,222
$40,699
Median Income
-45.8% #3,061 of 3,222
50.6 years
Median Age
+30.1% #195 of 3,222
23.8%
Poverty Rate
+88.8% #2,939 of 3,222

Demographics

Summers County has a population of 11,729, making it the #2,373 most populous county in the US. The median age is 50.6 years, which is 30.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Summers County is $40,699, ranking #3,061 out of 3,222 counties — 45.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 23.8% and unemployment stands at 2.2%.

Income#3,061
$40,699
-45.8%
vs nation
5th percentile
Per Capita#2,925
$25,658
-37.8%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poverty#2,939
23.8%
+88.8%
vs nation
9th percentile
Unemployment#337
2.2%
-58.5%
vs nation
90th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Summers County is $140,100 (-50.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $915/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.2%.

Home Value#2,388
$140,100
-50.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Rent#1,350
$915
-21.3%
vs nation
58th percentile
Homeownership#460
81.2%
+26.0%
vs nation
86th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Summers County, 18.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.3% below the national average, ranking #2,221 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.8% −44.3% vs nation
Rank #2,221 of 3,222
31th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Summers County is 69.4 years. 26.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,919
69.4
-7.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,854
26.2%
+33.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Diabetes#2,742
13.7%
+23.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,970
43.4%
+16.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,121
7.1
+26.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,090
5.9
+32.6%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,274
8.3%
-21.0%
vs nation
60th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,731
32.3%
+22.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,583
17.5%
+21.5%
vs nation
18th percentile

Substance Use

23.3% of adults in Summers County smoke , 42.8% are obese , and 15.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 113.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,880
23.3%
+29.8%
vs nation
8th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,790
42.8%
+12.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Excessive Drinking#338
15.9%
-19.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,100
113.5
+251.1%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 18.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,383
18.8
-4.7%
vs nation
46th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,172
16.3
-9.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,393
18.3
-9.5%
vs nation
51th percentile

Families & Children

29.3% of children in Summers County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,024
26.0
+19.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Child Poverty#2,814
29.3%
+54.3%
vs nation
11th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Summers County is 52.7%. The mean commute time is 37.6 min, which is 36.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
52.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
37.6 min +36.2% vs nation
Rank #131 of 3,222
96th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Summers County voted Republican with a margin of 51.4%. The vote was 23.3% Dem / 74.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.4%
23.3% 74.7%
Dem 5,264 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.0%
25.9% 72.9%
Dem 5,585 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.6%
24.5% 71.1%
Dem 4,847 votes Rep
2012 REP +28.8%
34.2% 63%
Dem 4,712 votes Rep
2008 REP +11.3%
43.1% 54.4%
Dem 5,316 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Summers County, West Virginia

Summers County, West Virginia has a total population of 11,729, making it the 2,373rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Summers County is 50.6 years, which is 30.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Summers County is $40,699, which ranks #3,061 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 45.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 23.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.2%.

The median home value in Summers County is $140,100, 50.3% below the national median. Renters in Summers County pay a median gross rent of $915 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Summers County, 18.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 37.6 min.

Summers County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).

All data for Summers 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.