Last month saw the release of the 2018 American Community Survey from the Census Bureau, which included state level poverty and income data for 2018.
As we reported at the time estimated 312,118 West Virginians lived in poverty in 2018, for a total poverty rate of 17.8 percent, the 4th highest in the country. Here are some additional findings from the release:
West Virginia’s child poverty rate in 2018 was 24 percent. West Virginia had the 6th highest child poverty rate among the 50 states in 2018.
Poverty remains a more serious problem for African Americans in West Virginia. The state’s poverty rate for African Americans was 28.6 percent in 2018.
Seniors in West Virginia are less likely to be in poverty than the rest of the state. The state’s senior poverty rate in 2018 was 10.0 percent.
Women in West Virginia face higher poverty rates than men. In 2018, West Virginia’s poverty rate for women was 18.5 percent, compared to 16.0 percent for men.
West Virginia’s median household income was an estimated $44,097 in 2018, $17,840 below the national average. West Virginia’s median household income did not increase in the past year, and, adjusting for inflation, has not increased at all since 2007. In 2018, West Virginia had the lowest median household income among the 50 states.
