Lewis County, West Virginia

Lewis County population, land area and income

Lewis County had 16,477 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 386.9 square miles of land. It ranks 34th of 55 in West Virginia by population and 30th by land area. That works out to 42.6 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,827 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How Lewis County's population changed since 2020

Lewis County lost 543 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.2%. That ranks 32nd 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, Lewis County recorded 734 births and 1,247 deaths, a natural change of -513. Net international migration added +0 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -42. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 513 people.

Where Lewis County is

The Census internal point of Lewis County is at 38.988900, -80.495500. 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 Lewis County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in Lewis County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Lewis County, 3,758 people together, or 23% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Lewis County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Weston with 3,758.

Counties bordering Lewis County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Lewis County. The most populous is Harrison County, WV, with 64,472 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• Harrison County

  64,472 people

  21 mi NNE

• Upshur County

  23,650 people

  15 mi ESE

• Braxton County

  12,051 people

  24 mi SSW

• Webster County

  7,947 people

  35 mi S

• Doddridge County

  7,615 people

  22 mi NNW

• Gilmer County

  7,116 people

  20 mi WSW

Distance to Charleston and the nearest big city

Charleston is 75.3 miles SW of Lewis County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Pittsburgh, PA (population 307,668), 104.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Clarksburg, WV (population 15,262), 20.7 miles away.

Lewis County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Lewis County is 54041: state code 54 for West Virginia plus county code 041. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,827.