Pendleton County, West Virginia

Pendleton County population, land area and income

Pendleton County had 5,944 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 696.1 square miles of land. It ranks 53rd of 55 in West Virginia by population and 5th by land area. That works out to 8.5 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in West Virginia has 21,285 residents, so Pendleton County has 28% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $53,640 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How Pendleton County's population changed since 2020

Pendleton County lost 185 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.0%. That ranks 30th 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, Pendleton County recorded 240 births and 488 deaths, a natural change of -248. Net international migration added +10 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +40. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 248 people.

Where Pendleton County is

The Census internal point of Pendleton County is at 38.674500, -79.340600. 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 Pendleton County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in Pendleton County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Pendleton County. Its 5,944 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Pendleton County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Pendleton County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Rockingham County, VA, with 87,674 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• VA

  Rockingham County, VA

  87,674 people

  27 mi ESE

• VA

  Augusta County, VA

  78,622 people

  36 mi SSE

• Randolph County

  27,190 people

  29 mi WNW

• Hardy County

  14,335 people

  36 mi NE

• Grant County

  10,971 people

  31 mi NNE

• Pocahontas County

  7,653 people

  43 mi WSW

• VA

  Highland County, VA

  2,348 people

  24 mi SSW

Distance to Charleston and the nearest big city

Charleston is 125.0 miles W of Pendleton County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Alexandria, VA (population 159,102), 122.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Harrisonburg, VA (population 51,164), 30.1 miles away.

Pendleton County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Pendleton County is 54071: state code 54 for West Virginia plus county code 071. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $53,640.