Hancock County, West Virginia

Hancock County population, land area and income

Hancock County had 28,054 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 82.6 square miles of land. It ranks 19th of 55 in West Virginia by population and 55th by land area. That works out to 339.6 people per square mile, 3.5 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in West Virginia has 21,285 residents; Hancock County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $58,478 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How Hancock County's population changed since 2020

Hancock County lost 989 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.4%. That ranks 37th of 55 in West Virginia for growth. The median West Virginia county changed by -2.9%, and the state as a whole by -1.2%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Hancock County recorded 943 births and 2,036 deaths, a natural change of -1,093. Net international migration added +48 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -2. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,093 people.

Where Hancock County is

The Census internal point of Hancock County is at 40.517000, -80.570200. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades West Virginia's 55 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Hancock County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in Hancock County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Hancock County, 16,761 people together, or 60% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Hancock County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Weirton with 14,656.

Counties bordering Hancock County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Hancock County, including 4 across a state line. The most populous is Washington County, PA, with 210,434 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• PA

  Washington County, PA

  210,434 people

  28 mi SE

• PA

  Beaver County, PA

  165,540 people

  16 mi NE

• OH

  Columbiana County, OH

  99,823 people

  21 mi NNW

• OH

  Jefferson County, OH

  63,900 people

  13 mi SW

• Brooke County

  21,285 people

  17 mi S

Distance to Charleston and the nearest big city

Charleston is 160.6 miles SSW of Hancock County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Pittsburgh, PA (population 307,668), 31.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Weirton, WV (population 18,317), 7.6 miles away.

Hancock County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Hancock County is 54029: state code 54 for West Virginia plus county code 029. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $58,478.