Fayette County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Fayette County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 39,519. It is the 13th most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 28 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fayette County is 44.7 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 42.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fayette County is $53,194. This is 11% lower than the state median of $59,608. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.2%. This is 15% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.7%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $105,800. Housing costs are 35% lower than the state median of $162,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Fayette County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 4% higher than the state average of 74.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fayette County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.5% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 4.2%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 0.8%.

Education

15.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 24.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Fayette County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against West Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.