Population 28,431 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Hancock County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Hancock County
Household size in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.29 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Hancock County is a place of small households, averaging 2.22 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.29, in line with the national trend. Only three of West Virginia's 55 counties have smaller 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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.0 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.3, Hancock County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 44.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the north.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Hancock County (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same.
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 Hancock County
Renters in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Hancock County rent their homes (25.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over half of owners (53.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Hancock County as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in West Virginia overall (14.9%). Vacancy is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Hancock County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the southwest. Only three of West Virginia's 55 counties have older homes.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $532 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $643 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $657 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $796 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$264 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in Hancock County runs $796 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $264 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are 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 Hancock County
Bachelor's degrees in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.4% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Hancock County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the west.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.7% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Hancock County have finished high school (91.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.6 points, in line with the national trend. Hancock County has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five West Virginia counties.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Hancock County: 8.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 2.22 | 45.3 | 10.2% | 25.5% | 9.4% | 1961 | $796 | 20.4% | 91.3% | 8.0% |
| Jefferson County | 2.35 | 44.2 | 11.5% | 29.5% | 12.4% | 1959 | $895 | 20.6% | 92.0% | 4.9% |
| Brooke County | 2.19 | 47.2 | 8.1% | 25.4% | 9.2% | 1964 | $696 | 23.4% | 93.4% | 6.3% |
| Harrison County | 2.41 | 44.0 | 9.0% | 23.7% | 17.7% | 1967 | $874 | 11.5% | 90.2% | 4.3% |
| Allegheny County | 2.28 | 42.2 | 9.2% | 34.8% | 10.4% | 1961 | $1,305 | 46.6% | 95.5% | 5.0% |
| Tuscarawas County | 2.44 | 41.5 | 11.3% | 31.1% | 6.8% | 1969 | $911 | 19.8% | 88.1% | 4.2% |
| Westmoreland County | 2.26 | 47.1 | 8.1% | 21.6% | 8.4% | 1966 | $990 | 33.0% | 95.6% | 4.7% |
| Holmes County | 3.44 | 33.9 | 3.6% | 21.0% | 7.9% | 1988 | $870 | 9.9% | 54.8% | 2.2% |
| Cambria County | 2.28 | 44.9 | 10.5% | 23.6% | 12.6% | 1958 | $774 | 24.3% | 93.1% | 4.6% |
| Knox County | 2.63 | 40.7 | 9.4% | 24.5% | 10.5% | 1973 | $959 | 25.0% | 90.3% | 2.3% |
| Blair County | 2.38 | 42.9 | 10.0% | 27.6% | 10.5% | 1961 | $936 | 24.5% | 93.9% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Union County, MS · Claiborne County, TN · Clare County, MI · Clarendon County, SC · Titus County, TX · Transylvania County, NC · Trempealeau County, WI · Uintah County, UT · Union County, AR · Christian County, IL
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 Hancock 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.