Population 7,288 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gilmer County
Household size in Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Gilmer County is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.45 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the center.
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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.9 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.3 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Gilmer County is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 42.7 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Gilmer County as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in West Virginia as a whole (10.4%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.2 points, 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 Gilmer County
Renters in Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.4% of households in Gilmer County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 69.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the south. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 4.2 points, 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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.1% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +13.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 43.1% of the housing in Gilmer 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 13.3 points, 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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Gilmer County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of West Virginia. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $525 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $493 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $504 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $750 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$225 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in Gilmer County runs $750 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $225 a month since 2006–10, up 43%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 21.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the northwest.
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 Gilmer County
Bachelor's degrees in Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Gilmer County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.0% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.0% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.4% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.0% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.0 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Gilmer County never finished high school, more than nationally: 86.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 10.0 points, mirroring the country.
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 Gilmer County
| Period | Gilmer County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Gilmer County runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Gilmer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilmer County | 2.38 | 42.2 | 12.4% | 24.4% | 43.1% | 1974 | $750 | 18.5% | 86.0% | 8.5% |
| Calhoun County | 2.40 | 49.2 | 7.6% | 12.9% | 18.5% | 1976 | $460 | 9.4% | 83.1% | 7.9% |
| Lewis County | 2.38 | 42.7 | 8.8% | 27.8% | 13.8% | 1979 | $717 | 19.0% | 88.2% | 8.1% |
| Wirt County | 2.52 | 46.8 | 9.6% | 12.2% | 22.9% | 1987 | $561 | 15.4% | 89.6% | 4.9% |
| Upshur County | 2.34 | 43.3 | 11.6% | 19.3% | 14.5% | 1977 | $875 | 18.3% | 88.2% | 5.8% |
| Jackson County | 2.40 | 42.8 | 7.7% | 21.4% | 10.5% | 1980 | $798 | 19.8% | 89.0% | 5.2% |
| Randolph County | 2.40 | 45.0 | 8.3% | 25.0% | 18.5% | 1975 | $831 | 20.2% | 88.6% | 7.6% |
| Meigs County | 2.41 | 45.0 | 13.6% | 24.6% | 14.8% | 1976 | $848 | 12.6% | 86.4% | 6.1% |
| Mason County | 2.40 | 45.2 | 6.7% | 18.2% | 15.4% | 1979 | $793 | 16.2% | 87.1% | 4.0% |
| Gallia County | 2.49 | 41.7 | 10.6% | 25.3% | 14.3% | 1982 | $833 | 21.0% | 87.4% | 3.7% |
| Grant County | 2.47 | 48.8 | 7.4% | 18.9% | 21.1% | 1981 | $726 | 14.0% | 89.8% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Knox County, TX · Kearney County, NE · Keith County, NE · Kemper County, MS · Kenedy County, TX · Kent County, TX · Keokuk County, IA · Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK · Keweenaw County, MI · Keya Paha County, NE
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 Gilmer 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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