By Stephen Smoot
Last month, the United States Census Bureau released a snapshot in statistics of states and counties across the nation.
Numbers for both the State of West Virginia and Pendleton County came from the 2021 Economic Surveys and Business Patterns report, 2023 American Community Survey reports and estimates, and the 2020 Census.
Almost all numbers reflect surveys taken between 2020 and 2023, so they are not current to 2025.
The census counted 1,793,716 people in West Virginia in 2020 with 6,143 living in Pendleton County. Compared to the state itself, the county’s median age lies at 50.8 compared to 42.8 for the state itself.
One thing to remember is that use of “median” may show a skewed picture. Median comes from the middle number in a data sample and not from some other calculation, such as an average.
Charts showing the distribution of people in age categories showed that the largest groups lay in those generally considered late middle age and the early years of senior citizenship. The state saw its three highest categories at 60 to 64 (61,492 men and 66,387 women), 65 to 69 years (57,942 men and 61,434 women) and 55 to 59 (59,597 men and 59,196 men).
Pendleton County saw the same three age groups with top numbers, but in a different numerical order. The highest category was 65 to 69 (311 men and 272 women), then 55 to 59 (321 men and 215 women), and an interesting set of numbers for 60 to 64 (173 men and 281 women).
Population numbers in Pendleton County skew older than West Virginia in general. Just under 30 percent of the county population is 65 or older. That number is 21.5 percent across West Virginia and 17.7 percent nationally.
The Census Bureau also tracked residential mobility in terms of moving from one place to another. About 1.5 percent moved from one place to another within Pendleton County, just under one percent moved in from outside the county, and .3 percent moved from a different state. Statistically speaking, no one moved to the county from abroad.
West Virginia itself saw 2.4 percent moving in from another state and .2 percent from another country.
Historically more people in West Virginia serve in the military per capita than any other state in the union. Prior to 1863, this covers counties that became West Virginia. About 7.2 percent of West Virginians served in the military compared to 6.1 percent nationwide.
Pendleton County enjoys a significantly higher percentage of residents with military service. Just under nine percent of residents, or nearly one in 10, have served in the military.
The Census Bureau’s education numbers in the snapshot also deserve some greater explanation, as they are among the least illustrative of the experience and knowledge of those in Pendleton County.
Just more than 20 percent of those in Pendleton County have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 24 percent in the state and 36.2 percent across the nation. For Pendleton County, the breakdown is 49.2 percent with a high school diploma or equivalent, compared to 39.7 percent in the state.
What is not reflected in the numbers at the state or county level is the education received in military training, trades education, or other programs outside of college education. This indicates a bias toward college education in statistics that the federal government relies upon to form policies and make judgments about an area’s progress and capabilities.
School enrollment in Pendleton County bests the state and the nation considerably. Just more than 91 percent of children are enrolled in school at the county level, compared to 70 percent in the state and 67.8 percent across the United States.
One of the most criticized metrics in the West Virginia economy for years has been the workforce participation rate, one of the lowest nationally. The rate rose and fell incrementally between 2014 and 2021, starting at 49.5 percent and ending at 49.2, but statewide the rate pushed upwards to 51.7 percent in 2023
While still eight percent lower than the nation as a whole, it shows an encouraging 2.5 percent growth in two years.
Pendleton County residents enjoy much higher rates of home ownership than those across West Virginia. About 82.5 percent of those in the county own their own homes, compared to 73.5 percent in West Virginia and just under 66 percent nationwide. Those who rent in the county also tend to pay less, with the median gross rent set at $754 for the county, $850 for the state, and a staggering $1,406 for the entire nation.
Just over 17 percent in Pendleton County pay $500 or less, almost three out of four renters pay between $500 and $999, while 8.5 percent pay $1000 to $1,499.
No renter in Pendleton County, at least statistically speaking, pays more than that.
State vacancy rates reflect housing issues raised in the past few years by Region 8 Economic Planning and Development. In 2027, West Virginia had a vacancy rate at just under 20 percent, which dipped to 13.9 in 2023.
