Upshur County, West Virginia

WV · FIPS 54097 Republican

Located in West Virginia, Upshur County has a population of 23,712 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #1,704 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.2%. The median home value is $170,800, and the median household income is $54,338, which is 28% below the national median.

23,712
Population
#1,704 of 3,222
$54,338
Median Income
-27.7% #2,514 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,423 of 3,222
19.2%
Poverty Rate
+52.7% #2,599 of 3,222

Demographics

Upshur County has a population of 23,712, making it the #1,704 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Upshur County is $54,338, ranking #2,514 out of 3,222 counties — 27.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.2% and unemployment stands at 5.7%.

Income#2,514
$54,338
-27.7%
vs nation
22th percentile
Per Capita#2,426
$30,013
-27.3%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poverty#2,599
19.2%
+52.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Unemployment#2,396
5.7%
+7.5%
vs nation
26th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Upshur County is $170,800 (-39.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $886/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.7%.

Home Value#1,795
$170,800
-39.4%
vs nation
44th percentile
Rent#1,515
$886
-23.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Homeownership#524
80.7%
+25.3%
vs nation
84th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Upshur County, 18.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.1% below the national average, ranking #2,329 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.2% −46.1% vs nation
Rank #2,329 of 3,222
28th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Upshur County is 74.7 years. 26.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,710
74.7
-0.5%
vs nation
44th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,886
26.5%
+35.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,685
13.5%
+21.3%
vs nation
15th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,544
40.9%
+9.6%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,027
6.7
+19.5%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,950
5.5
+24.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Uninsured Rate#986
7.4%
-29.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,936
34.5%
+30.8%
vs nation
7th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,688
14.5%
+0.7%
vs nation
46th percentile

Substance Use

25.4% of adults in Upshur County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 34.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,037
25.4%
+41.4%
vs nation
3th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,437
41.2%
+8.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Excessive Drinking#435
16.3%
-17.8%
vs nation
86th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,391
34.9
+7.8%
vs nation
34th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,155
17.5
-11.4%
vs nation
55th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#762
13.3
-25.6%
vs nation
69th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,241
17.1
-15.5%
vs nation
56th percentile

Families & Children

24.6% of children in Upshur County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 24.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,872
24.2
+10.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Child Poverty#2,473
24.6%
+29.5%
vs nation
21th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Upshur County is 52.6%. The mean commute time is 30.1 min, which is 9.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
52.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.1 min +9.1% vs nation
Rank #865 of 3,222
73th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Upshur County voted Republican with a margin of 56.8%. The vote was 20.6% Dem / 77.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +56.8%
20.6% 77.4%
Dem 9,859 votes Rep
2020 REP +53.9%
22.1% 76%
Dem 10,221 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.7%
19.2% 75.9%
Dem 9,180 votes Rep
2012 REP +45.5%
26.2% 71.7%
Dem 8,195 votes Rep
2008 REP +33.3%
32.6% 65.9%
Dem 8,970 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Upshur County, West Virginia

Upshur County, West Virginia has a total population of 23,712, making it the 1,704th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Upshur County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Upshur County is $54,338, which ranks #2,514 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.7%.

The median home value in Upshur County is $170,800, 39.4% below the national median. Renters in Upshur County pay a median gross rent of $886 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Upshur County, 18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.1 min.

Upshur County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.8% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.5%).

All data for Upshur 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.