County · West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 10 out of 100 (very low), ranking #2,838 of 3,143 US counties. Within West Virginia it ranks #52 of 55 counties. It ranks best on cost of buying a home today (low), home price to income ratio (low) and pharmacies (high). It ranks worst on some college (low), bachelor's degree or higher (low) and premature death (high).

10Very low

Quality-of-life score: #2,838 of 3,143 counties
West Virginia: #52 of 55 in WV
Population: 16,878 (2025)
Land area: 533 mi²
Density: 31.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 54047

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 77 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety57#1,325/3,096
Economy0#3,137/3,143
Housing78#697/3,140
Health0#3,144/3,144
Healthcare3#3,050/3,143
Environment65#1,095/3,108
Education1#3,126/3,144
Infrastructure9#2,872/3,144
Community3#3,064/3,144
Leisure & amenities15#2,682/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where McDowell County, West Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Cost of buying a home today · low11.8%
100/100West Virginia 21.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Home price to income ratio · low1.6×
98/100West Virginia 2.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Pharmacies · high4.2 /10k
96/100West Virginia 2.8 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Effective property tax rate · low0.40%
91/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Hot days · low5 days
87/100West Virginia 10 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Property crime rate · low387 /100k
83/100West Virginia 1,053 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figure

Weaknesses

Some college · low23.5%
0/100West Virginia 56.7%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Bachelor's degree or higher · low6.8%
0/100West Virginia 24.1%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Premature death · high23,662 /100k
0/100West Virginia 12,969 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Poverty rate · high38.4%
0/100West Virginia 16.2%United States 12.1%2024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate
Median household income · low$35,721
0/100West Virginia $60,662United States $81,6042024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate
Injury deaths · high280 /100k
0/100West Virginia 151 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
18,942 (2020) → 16,878 (2025)
−11%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 28% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+28 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Mental health providersImproving
35 /100k (2021) → 82 /100k (2025)
+130%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
0.5 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
65.6% (2015-2019) → 85.5% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
69.2% (2015-2019) → 50.5% (2020-2024)
−19 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, McDowell County, West Virginia improved on 8 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 17 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved8

Broadband+20 points65.6% → 85.5%
Traffic deaths−41%30.0 /100k → 17.8 /100k
Unemployment−3.7 points13.6% → 9.9%
Overdose deaths−50%147.9 /100k → 74.5 /100k
Real income+30%$33,978 → $44,311

Declined1

Price / income+0.3×1.3× → 1.6×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of McDowell County, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.6 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+12%	Within the margin of error	62%
Average commute time	27.2 min2015-2019	36.0 min2020-2024	+8.8 min	Within the margin of error	1%
Average weekly wage	$8962020	$1,0942025	+22%	Improved	37%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.4%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Broadband subscriptions	65.6%2015-2019	85.5%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	94%
Child poverty rate	44.2%2019	41.7%2024	−2.5 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Distance to an airport	131 mi2020	131 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	147.9 /100k2020	74.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−50%	Improved	76%
Effective property tax rate	0.26%2015-2019	0.40%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Little change	2%
Firearm deaths	21.3 /100k2020	20.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.3%	Within the margin of error	53%
Grocery stores	2.6 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	+12%	Within the margin of error	81%
High school diploma or higher	68.6%2015-2019	75.5%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Home price to income ratio	1.3×2015-2019	1.6×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	58%
Homicide rate	11.0 /100k2020	4.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−58%	Within the margin of error	78%
Income adjusted for local prices	$33,9782019	$44,3112024	+30%	Improved	42%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4662015-2019	0.4622020-2024	−0.004	Within the margin of error	61%
Median household income	$29,1062019	$35,7212024	+23%	Improved	38%
New business applications	4.3 /1k2020	4.6 /1k2025	+5.4%	Improved	11%
Pharmacies	4.2 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	−1.8%	Within the margin of error	60%
Poverty rate	33.8%2019	38.4%2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Public libraries	2.8 /10k2019	2.3 /10k2024	−18%	Within the margin of error	5%
Rent as share of income	34.5%2015-2019	31.1%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Rent-burdened households	69.2%2015-2019	50.5%2020-2024	−19 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Restaurants and bars	1.6 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+12%	Within the margin of error	76%
Students per teacher	13.2×2019	13.5×2024	+0.3×	Little change	19%
Suicide rate	23.5 /100k2020	21.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−9.8%	Within the margin of error	75%
Traffic deaths	30.0 /100k2015-2019	17.8 /100k2020-2024	−41%	Improved	92%
Unemployment rate	13.6%2020	9.9%2025	−3.7 points	Improved	77%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.8%2019	10.4%2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	58%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 1857 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like McDowell County, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of McDowell County, West Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, McDowell County, West Virginia itself moved +2.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

17,943 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

6,467 households (±288)

McDowell County, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k39%2,501
$25k–50k30%1,924
$50k–75k14%908

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

6,467 households (±288)

McDowell County, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own77%4,997
Rent23%1,470

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,697 workers (±440)

McDowell County, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone83%3,075
Carpool9.4%†349
Public transit0.5%†

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

McDowell County has 213 employer establishments, 122 for every 10,000 residents (0.49× the US rate of 248; 0.60× West Virginia's), with 2,253 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,332. The Census Bureau also counts 469 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 213; 469 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 122; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 2,253
Average annual pay: $43,332; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of McDowell County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	23	13.2	2.61×More than typical	154	$72,617	17
Ambulatory health care services	15	8.6	0.41×Fewer than typical	154	$55,877	16
Gasoline stations	13	7.5	2.30×More than typical	93	$16,398	—
Health and personal care stores	10	5.7	2.16×More than typical	77	$41,805	3
Pharmacies and drug stores	10	5.7	4.62×More than typical	77	$41,805	—
General merchandise stores	9	5.2	2.92×Too few to compare	56	$23,304	5
Religious organizations	9	5.2	0.93×Too few to compare	20	$21,550	—
Individual and family services	8	4.6	1.64×Too few to compare	251	$20,853	9
Restaurants and other eating places	8	4.6	0.25×Too few to compare	93	$19,645	—
Grocery and convenience stores	7	4	1.35×Too few to compare	121	$28,446	3
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	3.4	0.68×Too few to compare	14	$37,500	28
Offices of physicians	6	3.4	0.53×Too few to compare	38	$58,053	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,446 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4M on contracts performed in McDowell County, West Virginia: $237 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4M; −56% vs FY2025
Per resident: $237; US $1,994
Sole-source: 71%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.8%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$3.5M87%
Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services$481K12%
Public Buildings Service$39.7K1.0%

Top recipients

CITY OF WELCH$1.2M29%
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.$865.3K22%
WELCH GAS COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION$343.2K8.6%
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC$312.1K7.8%
SMITH BROTHERS EXCAVATING$248.2K6.2%

Spending by fiscal year

912.8KFY2017
1.4MFY2018
1.4MFY2019
12.9MFY2020
1.2MFY2021
3.6MFY2022
2.4MFY2023
1.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$1.2M29%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$865.3K22%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$481K12%
Natural gas distribution · 2212$343.2K8.6%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$309K7.7%
Apparel accessories and other apparel manufacturing · 3159$276.6K

Largest awards

CITY OF WELCH - WATER & SEWER FY 2026 CONTRACT #15B12220D00000030$1.2M
CITY OF WELCH· McDowell County, WV· Facilities & utilities· Sep 10, 2025 – Sep 2, 2026· 15B12225F00000046
CITY OF WELCH WATER AND SEWER FY 2025 PENDING FUNDS AVAILABILITY$954.5K
CITY OF WELCH· McDowell County, WV· Facilities & utilities· Sep 17, 2024 – Oct 8, 2025· 15B12224F00000057
ELECTRICAL SERVICES FOR FCI MCDOWELL FY 26 CONTRACT #47PA0422D0063$865.3K
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.· McDowell County, WV· Facilities & utilities· Sep 10, 2025 – Aug 18, 2026· 15B12225F00000047
FCI MCDOWELL NATURAL GAS FY 26 CONTRACT #15B12218D00000123

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Explore contracts in McDowell County, West Virginia

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $142.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for McDowell County, West Virginia: $8,460 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $142.8M; −8.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,460; US $12,955
Loan face value: $845.9K; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$58.8M41%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$24.2M17%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$17M12%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$16.9M12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$10.4M7.3%
20.271 · Emergency Relief (ER) Program$5.4M3.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$4.4M3.1%
93.224 · Health Center Program$2.2M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

WVDOT DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS$9.5M6.6%
CHARLESTON, WV
TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC$2.2M1.6%
GARY, WV
MCDOWELL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION$490K0.3%
WELCH, WV
FRONTIER WEST VIRGINIA INC$107K0.1%
CHARLESTON, WV
AMERICAN BANKERS INSURANCE COMPANY OF FLORIDA

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$116.8M82%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$11.8M8.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$9.5M6.6%
Department of Transportation
Health Resources and Services Administration$2.3M1.6%
Department of Health and Human Services
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

166.2MFY2021
173.6MFY2022
145.2MFY2023
160.3MFY2024
156MFY2025
142.8MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in McDowell County, West Virginia

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How McDowell County, West Virginia compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

McDowell County, West Virginia
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2017	$49.29	$1,436
FY2018	$75.19	$1,552
FY2019	$81.00	$1,654
FY2020	$683	$1,880
FY2021	$65.99	$1,810
FY2022	$204	$1,917
FY2023	$136	$2,079
FY2024	$77.38	$2,047
FY2025	$535	$2,165
FY2026	$237 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2017	$0	$93.28
FY2018	$0	$105
FY2019	$0	$128
FY2020	$0	$145
FY2021	$0	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2021	$1,809	$5,748
FY2022	$2,328	$5,221
FY2023	$645	$5,364
FY2024	$1,443	$5,501
FY2025	$1,188	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2021	$195	$298
FY2022	$1,381	$357
FY2023	$311	$301
FY2024	$499	$319
FY2025	$301	$360
FY2026

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2021	$2.20	$239
FY2022	$2.29	$185
FY2023	$10.50	$229
FY2024	$2.33	$229
FY2025	$3.88	$249
FY2026	$1.41

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2021	$191	$2,304
FY2022	$128	$2,197
FY2023	$134	$2,274
FY2024	$120	$2,267
FY2025	$131	$2,397
FY2026	$131

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
FY2021	$235	$1,186
FY2022	$71.90	$465
FY2023	-$3.43	$76.52
FY2024	$0	$120
FY2025	$108	$148
FY2026	$29.81

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

McDowell County, West Virginia
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, McDowell County, West Virginia and the United States, by year
Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Jumps not compared

FY2020, Federal contracts: one recipient accounted for most of the increase.
FY2022, Transportation grants: one recipient accounted for most of the increase.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/54047

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

McDowell County, West Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Carol D. MillerR-WV-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 5.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Cities and towns in McDowell County

Places whose residents live mostly in McDowell County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/54047

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	+11.8%	−4.2%
2015	+2.9%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+11.3%	+3.3%
2018	+17.0%	+6.8%
2019	+20.9%	+10.5%
2020	+20.1%	+19.4%
2021	+22.4%	+26.1%
2022	+36.1%	+30.6%
2023	+42.0%	+35.0%
2024	+44.5%	+41.0%
2025	+46.6%	+46.8%

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	+4.0%	−5.5%
2015	+2.7%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+5.6%	+4.1%
2018	+7.1%	+8.9%
2019	+12.4%	+13.5%
2020	+19.2%	+20.8%
2021	+31.2%	+32.1%
2022	+33.6%	+35.4%
2023	+42.1%	+42.9%
2024	+48.5%	+49.5%

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	0.3/1k	3.3/1k
2015	0.8/1k	3.7/1k
2016	0.3/1k	3.7/1k
2017	0.2/1k	3.9/1k
2018	0.1/1k	4.1/1k
2019	1.3/1k	4.2/1k
2020	1.0/1k	4.4/1k
2021	0.5/1k	5.2/1k
2022	0.2/1k	5.0/1k
2023	0.3/1k	4.5/1k
2024	0.4/1k	4.3/1k
2025	0.0/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	+1.0%	−6.9%
2015	+8.0%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+8.3%	+4.7%
2018	+11.6%	+7.5%
2019	+19.0%	+14.0%
2020	+8.7%	+16.9%
2021	+17.4%	+21.0%
2022	+18.4%	+29.7%
2023	+43.7%	+34.9%
2024	+46.0%	+41.6%

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	2.1/1k	8.5/1k
2015	2.5/1k	8.7/1k
2016	2.5/1k	9.1/1k
2017	4.6/1k	9.8/1k
2018	2.5/1k	10.7/1k
2019	4.1/1k	10.6/1k
2020	4.3/1k	13.1/1k
2021	5.3/1k	16.2/1k
2022	5.3/1k	15.1/1k
2023	5.9/1k	16.2/1k
2024	6.6/1k	15.4/1k
2025	4.6/1k	16.6/1k

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	12.9%	6.2%
2015	12.4%	5.3%
2016	13.0%	4.9%
2017	9.8%	4.4%
2018	10.1%	3.9%
2019	10.1%	3.7%
2020	13.6%	8.1%
2021	9.3%	5.4%
2022	7.0%	3.7%
2023	6.9%	3.6%
2024	7.9%	4.0%
2025	9.9%	4.3%

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	34.9%	15.5%
2015	34.5%	14.7%
2016	36.3%	14.0%
2017	31.7%	13.4%
2018	35.4%	13.1%
2019	33.8%	12.3%
2020	31.8%	11.9%
2021	31.7%	12.8%
2022	37.6%	12.6%
2023	36.2%	12.5%
2024	38.4%	12.1%

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	—	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	—	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	—	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	—	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	—	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	— (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	— (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	— (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	— (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	— (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	— (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	— (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	McDowell County, West Virginia	United States
2014	13.9%	13.5%
2015	9.4%	10.9%
2016	10.0%	10.0%
2017	9.8%	10.2%
2018	11.0%	10.4%
2019	11.8%	10.8%
2020	9.7%	10.4%
2021	10.3%	10.2%
2022	10.4%	9.5%
2023	9.6%	9.5%
2024	10.4%	9.8%

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends