Ritchie County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Ritchie County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 8,372. It is the 44th most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ritchie County is 47.2 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 42.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ritchie County is $50,256. This is 13% lower than the state median of $57,917. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 21.7%. This is 30% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.6%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 1.7%. This is 70% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $107,800. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $155,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Ritchie County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 84.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 74.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Ritchie County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.6% of all residents. Asian residents account for 0.9%. The Black or African American population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 3.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 2.0%.

Education

12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% 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 84.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Ritchie 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.