Wetzel County, West Virginia
Located in West Virginia, Wetzel County has a population of 14,078 residents and a median age of 45.3 years, making it the #2,218 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.0%. The median home value is $107,900, and the median household income is $56,836, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
Wetzel County has a population of 14,078, making it the #2,218 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Wetzel County is $56,836, ranking #2,344 out of 3,222 counties — 24.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.0% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wetzel County is $107,900 (-61.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $688/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wetzel County, 17.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.3% below the national average, ranking #2,475 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wetzel County is 70.2 years. 23.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.2% of adults in Wetzel County smoke , 37.1% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 60.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 23.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.1 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.6% of children in Wetzel County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 33.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wetzel County is 54.7%. The mean commute time is 32.2 min, which is 16.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Wetzel County voted Republican with a margin of 55.5%. The vote was 21% Dem / 76.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wetzel County, West Virginia
Wetzel County, West Virginia has a total population of 14,078, making it the 2,218th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wetzel County is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wetzel County is $56,836, which ranks #2,344 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Wetzel County is $107,900, 61.7% below the national median. Renters in Wetzel County pay a median gross rent of $688 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wetzel County, 17.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.2 min.
Wetzel County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.4%).
All data for Wetzel 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.