Gilmer County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Gilmer County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 7,376. It is the 51st most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Gilmer County is 40.7 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 42.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Gilmer County is $50,991. This is 12% lower than the state median of $57,917. It is also 35% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.9%. This is 22% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.6%. The unemployment rate is 8.1%. This is 42% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $83,300. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $155,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Gilmer County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 74.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Gilmer County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 79.1% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 14.3%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (14.3% vs 3.2%). The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (3.6% vs 2.0%). The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 0.8%.

Education

19.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 23.3%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 81.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Gilmer County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.