McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County population, land area and income

McDowell County had 17,147 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 533.5 square miles of land. It ranks 33rd of 55 in West Virginia by population and 13th by land area. That works out to 32.1 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; McDowell County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $35,161 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How McDowell County's population changed since 2020

McDowell County lost 1,792 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 9.5%. That ranks 55th 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, McDowell County recorded 633 births and 1,733 deaths, a natural change of -1,100. Net international migration added +113 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -979. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,100 people.

Where McDowell County is

The Census internal point of McDowell County is at 37.382800, -81.658200. 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 McDowell County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in McDowell County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in McDowell County, 3,413 people together, or 20% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside McDowell County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Welch with 3,413.

Counties bordering McDowell County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for McDowell County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Mercer County, WV, with 57,524 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• Mercer County

  57,524 people

  30 mi E

• VA

  Tazewell County, VA

  38,875 people

  19 mi SSE

• Mingo County

  21,712 people

  36 mi NW

• Wyoming County

  19,964 people

  16 mi NNE

• VA

  Buchanan County, VA

  18,632 people

  22 mi WSW

Distance to Charleston and the nearest big city

Charleston is 65.9 miles N of McDowell County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Winston-Salem, NC (population 255,769), 117.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Beckley, WV (population 16,515), 38.3 miles away.

McDowell County FIPS code

The FIPS code of McDowell County is 54047: state code 54 for West Virginia plus county code 047. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $35,161.