Population 21,026 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Boone County
Household size in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Boone County average 2.67 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in West Virginia as a whole, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has climbed from 2.48 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Of West Virginia's 55 counties, only three have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.0 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.0, Boone County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.3, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Boone County than nationally: 10.1%, against 11.6%. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Boone County
Renters in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.7% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.4% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.7% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.7% of households in Boone County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 66.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. The renter share has fallen 5.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +11.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.2% of the housing in Boone County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 11.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Boone County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $449 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $584 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $647 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $782 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$333 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in Boone County runs $782 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $333 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Boone County
Bachelor's degrees in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Boone County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few West Virginia counties have a lower share of college graduates: only four of 55.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.5% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.9% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.8% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.8% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.4 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Boone County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 14.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Boone County: 9.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 2.0 points, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Boone County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 2.67 | 45.0 | 10.1% | 18.7% | 22.2% | 1976 | $782 | 11.1% | 85.8% | 9.1% |
| Fayette County | 2.42 | 44.5 | 11.0% | 22.3% | 15.1% | 1970 | $828 | 15.6% | 86.5% | 5.6% |
| Lawrence County | 2.58 | 42.3 | 8.1% | 22.2% | 17.0% | 1989 | $758 | 15.6% | 81.5% | 8.1% |
| Elliott County | 2.67 | 46.2 | 13.5% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 1989 | $427 | 10.0% | 80.1% | 7.4% |
| Morgan County | 2.67 | 40.4 | 9.1% | 21.1% | 17.3% | 1991 | $697 | 17.7% | 80.0% | 2.8% |
| Rowan County | 2.28 | 33.8 | 13.8% | 38.5% | 12.3% | 1989 | $807 | 26.5% | 85.0% | 5.5% |
| Menifee County | 2.49 | 46.5 | 15.3% | 24.5% | 23.4% | 1988 | $609 | 15.1% | 80.9% | 7.2% |
| Bath County | 2.76 | 39.6 | 11.0% | 25.3% | 13.4% | 1986 | $592 | 12.2% | 82.1% | 2.5% |
| Bath County | 2.16 | 52.2 | 9.7% | 28.7% | 43.0% | 1974 | $653 | 16.4% | 84.6% | 1.2% |
| Montgomery County | 2.58 | 39.9 | 9.7% | 31.7% | 11.6% | 1984 | $869 | 21.0% | 86.5% | 4.0% |
| Clark County | 2.51 | 41.1 | 11.9% | 29.3% | 8.9% | 1980 | $959 | 22.5% | 88.8% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Grant County, NM · Lawrence County, SD · Macon County, TN · Luquillo Municipio, PR · Luna County, NM · Los Alamos County, NM · Long County, GA · Loiza Municipio, PR · Lincoln County, WY · Lincoln County, WV
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Boone County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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