Wetzel County, West Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Wetzel County is located in West Virginia with a total population of 14,233. It is the 38th most populous county out of 55 in West Virginia. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wetzel County is 45.6 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 42.7 years. 10.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wetzel County is $53,341. This is 8% lower than the state median of $57,917. It is also 32% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 16.6%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 16.6%. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $102,800. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $155,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.9x, Wetzel County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 74.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Wetzel County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.1% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.8%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 3.2%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 0.8%.

Education

13.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 89.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Wetzel 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.