285,780 West Virginians lived in poverty in 2023, including nearly 70,000 children, according to the new estimates out today from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey. West Virginia’s official poverty rate in 2023 was 16.7 percent, a decrease from 17.9 percent in 2022. West Virginia’s poverty rate was 5.6 percentage points higher than the national rate of 11.1 percent and the fourth highest poverty rate among the 50 states and D.C.
After spiking to 25.0 percent in 2022, child poverty in West Virginia fell to 20.1 percent in 2023. But even with this decline, West Virginia’s child poverty rate ranked eighth highest in the country.
Median household income in West Virginia also increased slightly in 2023, rising from $54,329 to $55,948. Median household income measures the income of the typical household – or the household in the middle of the income distribution – and serves as a good indicator for how the middle class is faring. Despite the increase, West Virginia ranked 50th out of the 50 states and D.C. for median household income and was $24,662 below the national average of $80,610. While the national median household income grew by four percent in 2023, growth was slower in West Virginia at three percent.
Other highlights from the 2023 American Community Survey include the poverty rate for Black West Virginians remaining flat at 30.2 percent, nearly double the overall poverty rate. The poverty rate for seniors was also flat in 2023, at 12.0 percent. Poverty was lowest for those West Virginians with at least a bachelor’s degree at 5.2 percent, while those who had not completed high school had the highest poverty rate at 32.8 percent. The poverty rate for men was lower than the poverty rate for women, at 14.8 percent compared to 18.4 percent.
Policy choices that reduce poverty—or allow poverty to surge—matter. With poverty highest among children, Black West Virginians, and those without higher levels of education, addressing poverty within these categories should be a top priority in the state. Policies like a state-level child tax credit, affordable higher education, and increasing the state minimum wage all would help continue to reduce West Virginia’s high levels of poverty.
