Population 41,744 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Parkersburg
Household size in Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.29 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Parkersburg are small: just 2.28 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.5 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Parkersburg skews older than the country: its median age is 43.5, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.8 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northeast.
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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Parkersburg as they are nationally: 12.2%, 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 edged up 0.9 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 Parkersburg
Renters in Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.4% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.7% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Parkersburg rent their homes (31.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Still, renters make up a bigger share here than in West Virginia as a whole (25.1%). About half of owners (49.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 3.8 points from 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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Parkersburg: 12.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Still, the rate is lower than in West Virginia as a whole (14.9%).
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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Parkersburg is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center 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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $583 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $631 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $697 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $824 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$242 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Parkersburg costs $824 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $242 a month since 2006–10, up 41%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Parkersburg
Bachelor's degrees in Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Parkersburg: 21.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.7% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.0% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.1% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Parkersburg have finished high school as nationally: 88.1%, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.8 points, as it has nationally. Parkersburg has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five West Virginia cities.
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 Parkersburg
| Period | Parkersburg | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Parkersburg than nationally: unemployment was 7.3%, against 5.4%. Of the 60 West Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only five have higher unemployment. 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).
Parkersburg compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkersburg | 2.28 | 43.5 | 12.2% | 31.7% | 12.7% | 1962 | $824 | 21.1% | 88.1% | 7.3% |
| North Hills | 2.58 | 39.7 | 5.9% | 23.4% | 10.7% | 1978 | $764 | 43.3% | 92.1% | 5.0% |
| Pettyville | 2.36 | 44.4 | 10.3% | 30.1% | 13.1% | 1981 | $900 | 14.9% | 92.4% | 7.3% |
| Belpre | 2.24 | 44.9 | 9.7% | 30.6% | 7.2% | 1970 | $911 | 18.2% | 92.6% | 3.0% |
| Vienna | 2.23 | 42.8 | 6.8% | 23.8% | 9.2% | 1970 | $862 | 30.9% | 95.9% | 2.7% |
| Murphytown | 2.77 | 37.4 | 15.8% | 14.9% | 8.8% | 1990 | $978 | 21.5% | 91.9% | 2.0% |
| Boreman | 2.40 | 41.7 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 8.9% | 1985 | $805 | 29.2% | 94.6% | 1.4% |
| Davisville | 2.85 | 40.2 | 20.0% | 14.3% | 12.5% | 1983 | $972 | 14.1% | 87.4% | 10.4% |
| Mineralwells | 2.55 | 40.5 | 9.0% | 23.1% | 9.7% | 1986 | $831 | 23.0% | 92.5% | 5.6% |
| Porterfield | 2.40 | 38.3 | 3.2% | 15.8% | 4.4% | 1979 | $1,243 | 36.6% | 96.1% | 7.3% |
| Washington | 2.45 | 48.5 | 7.2% | 12.2% | 7.3% | 1976 | $840 | 30.9% | 97.8% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Menlo Park, CA · Orange, TX · Oak Harbor, WA · Northbrook, IL · North Brunswick, NJ · Nicholasville, KY · New Berlin, WI · Monrovia, CA · Monroe, GA · Milton, GA
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 Parkersburg. 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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