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McDowell
West Virginia

19K

Population

$28K

Median Income

$42K

Median Home

R+63

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$28K

This county

national avg ~$75K

Poverty Rate37.6%

This county

national avg ~11.5%

Unemployment Rate6.3%

This county

national avg ~3.8%

GDP per Capita$39,720

Federal Spending per Capita$1,495

Median Individual Earnings$30K

This county

national avg $45K

Professional/Management Workers31.8%

Average Adjusted Gross Income$45K

Avg Credit Score634

Work From Home %4.7%

This county

national avg 17.0%

Population Under 1820.5%

This county

national avg 22.0%

Single-Person Households35.4%

This county

national avg 28.0%

Banks & Finance Firms5

Income (20th Percentile)$11K

Income (80th Percentile)$68K

Income (95th Percentile)$111K

Bachelor's Degree or Higher7.2%

This county

national avg 35.0%

Less Than High School22.5%

This county

national avg 11.0%

Knowledge Economy GDP %4.5%

Dependency Ratio1.07

Medicare Spending / Person$4,520

SS Benefits / Person$5,728

Education Wage Premium1.71x

Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$36K

Median Earnings (Graduate)$44K

Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$26K

Public Assistance Recipients4.6%

Average Annual Wage$56K

Professional Services Concentration0.40x national

This county

1.0 = national average share

Housing

Median Home Value$40K

This county

$155K state avg

$303K national

Market Rent (ZORI)$601/mo

This county

$900/mo state avg

$1400/mo national

Property Tax Rate0.56%

This county

0.57% state avg

1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $268

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$869/mo

Home Value to Income Ratio1.3x income

Severely Cost-Burdened Households9.1%

Homeownership Rate77.1%

This county

national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Listings with Price Cuts— Low — market moving fast

12.0%

Active Listings

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)— Slow — buyers have leverage

179 days

Months of Supply (Redfin)— High inventory — buyers market

19.0 mo

Sold Above List (Redfin)

0.0%

Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)— Buyers market — homes selling below list

79.0%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy66.3 yrs

This county

national avg ~78.5 years

Food Insecurity18.2%

This county

national avg ~11%

Food Environment Index6.8 / 10

This county

higher = better access

Primary Care Shortage Score23

This county

national avg 5

Mental Health Shortage Score24

Dental Care Shortage Score26

Healthcare Shortage Score24.3

Healthcare Offices17

Obesity Rate (BRFSS)46.1%

This county

national avg 32.0%

Smoking Rate (BRFSS)29.3%

This county

national avg 14.0%

Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)34.8%

This county

national avg 18.0%

Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)42.6%

This county

national avg 24.0%

High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)44.6%

This county

national avg 32.0%

Active Physicians11

Nursing Home Rating5.0 / 5

This county

national avg ~3 stars

ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients764 / 1,000

Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$10,365

Uninsured (under 65)10.4%

This county

national avg ~10%

Adults with Depression32.6%

Education

Math Test Scores2.35 grade level

Reading Test Scores2.58 grade level

HS Diploma Holders5,848

Bachelor's Degree Holders514

HS Completion Rate77.5%

This county

national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate6.1 / 1,000

This county

national avg ~4.0

Firearm Fatality Rate31.3 / 100K

This county

national avg ~13.6/100K

Homicide Rate16.3 / 100K

This county

national avg ~7.5/100K

Drug Overdose Rate143.7 / 100K

This county

national avg ~21/100K

Traffic Fatalities1

Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)87th pct

Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)91.7 / 100K

Suicide Rate35.6 / 100K

This county

national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-1.9

January Sunshine-1.64

January Temperature0.13

Average Temp54°F

Avg High Temp66°F

Avg Low Temp43°F

Annual Precipitation45.0 in/yr

Avg Storm Events9.2 storms/yr

Avg Annual Storm Damage$315K

Drought Index (2022)0.86

Heating Degree Days4,743 HDD/yr

This county

national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days860 CDD/yr

This county

national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr

Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)5,054 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)732 CDD/yr

Avg Tornadoes / Year0.0

Avg Flood Events / Year4.0

Avg Hail Events / Year0.4

Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00

Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0

Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0

Avg Heat Events / Year0.0

Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)64 / 100

Community Resilience (FEMA)1 / 100

Federal Disaster Declarations27 since 1953

Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)6.6 µg/m³

This county

EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)18 properties

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed124 Mbps

This county

national avg ~120 Mbps

Upload Speed19 Mbps

Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)210 Mbps

Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)347 Mbps

Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)39 Mbps

Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)42 ms

Households with 100Mbps+88.3%

This county

national avg 75.0%

Cellular-Only Internet8.3%

This county

national avg 8.0%

Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)50 Mbps

EV Infrastructure

EV Charging Stations2 stations

DC Fast Chargers0 chargers

Level 2 EV Chargers0

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers148 workers

Public Transit Commuters4 workers

Walk to Work48 workers

Extreme Commutes (90+ min)160 workers

Walk to Work1.5%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden43.5%

This county

national median ~27% of household income

Childcare Centers2.1 per 10K residents

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout45.9%

This county

national avg ~55%

Volunteering Rate1.0%

Income Inequality (Gini)5.944

Nonprofit Organizations77

Veterans Share6.0%

This county

national avg 7.0%

Married Adults36.7%

Never-Married Adults33.6%

Divorced Adults14.8%

Religious Organizations9

Asian Population0.1%

Native American Population0.2%

Membership Associations4.9 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Grocery Stores6

Hotels & Lodging5

Professional Services Firms7

Debt Burden

Avg Mortgage Balance$31K

Avg Student Loan Balance$10K

Avg Credit Card Balance$4K

Loan Delinquency Rate62.8%

This county

national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.00%

Politics

R+63

2024 Presidential · West Virginia was R+36 statewide

vs West Virginia State

Income tax

5.12%Same (state law)

Property tax

0.56%0.57% state avg

Politics

R+63R+36

COL Index

County data82 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↓ -153

More people leaving than arriving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.61x avg income)

Economic Mobility

37%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in McDowell County

Median home value: $42K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

Opens in a new tab

Local News — McDowell

Charleston Gazette-Mail · Apr 11, 2026

'I'm blistering': Water struggles intensify for West Virginians as takeovers loom

Residents of Gary, McDowell County, and other observers listen during a West Virginia Public Service…

Mountain State Spotlight · Mar 29, 2026

Clean water was a top issue for McDowell County voters in 2024. They’re still waiting for elected officials to help.

People in McDowell County told Mountain State Spotlight clean water was a top issue in the 2024 elec…

West Virginia Watch · Apr 10, 2026

West Virginia’s coalfields: A warning the rest of Appalachia cannot afford to ignore

McDowell County, West Virginia, had nearly 100000 residents in 1950. Today it has fewer than 17000.…

CBS News · Feb 22, 2026

With safety net cuts coming, residents in McDowell, one of America's poorest counties, worry about their future

Residents in McDowell County, West Virginia buy bottled water they can ill afford; tap water can be …

The Real WV · 1 month ago

McDowell County Courthouse News: July 20–26

Browns Creek District; 1/7-acre tract (including a mobile home) on Shabby Run Branch, Lot 2, Block B…

WOWK 13 News · Mar 19, 2026

McDowell water crisis meeting leaves questions unanswered

MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WOWK) – Reports of 60-year-old, unsalvageable water tanks in Gary, West Virg…

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

McDowellWest Virginia

McDowell
West Virginia