Beckley, WV

Census Place

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2023 Population

16,977

0.905% 1-year decline

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

4.18% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

27%

20.3% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$39,939

3.24% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$148,800

10.1% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

6,632

0.793% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Beckley, WV had a population of 17k people with a median age of 39 and a median household income of $39,939. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Beckley, WV declined from 17,132 to 16,977, a −0.905% decrease and its median household income declined from $41,277 to $39,939, a −3.24% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Beckley, WV are White (Non-Hispanic) (71.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (15%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (6.9%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.93%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.31%).

None of the households in Beckley, WV reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.1% of the residents in Beckley, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Beckley, WV are West Virginia University Institute of Technology (166 degrees awarded in 2023), Academy of Careers and Technology (106 degrees), and Valley College-Beckley (58 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Beckley, WV was $148,800, and the homeownership rate was 53.2%.

Most people in Beckley, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Beckley, WV was 2 cars per household.

United States West Virginia Raleigh County, WV Beckley, WV Raleigh, Fayette Counties PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Beckley, WV is home to a population of 17k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.12% of Beckley, WV residents were born outside of the country (529 people).

In 2023, there were 4.76 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (12.1k people) in Beckley, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.55k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.17k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.1% of Beckley, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Beckley, WV was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Beckley, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Beckley, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
12.1k ± 533
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.55k ± 477
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.17k ± 401

2.75%

Hispanic Population

467 people

2.75% of the people in Beckley, WV are hispanic (467 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Beckley, WV as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

3.12%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

529 people

2.41%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

413 people

As of 2023, 3.12% of Beckley, WV residents (529 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Beckley, WV was 2.41%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Beckley, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
307 ± 167
Gulf War (2001-)
191 ± 116
Gulf War (1990s)
115 ± 72

Beckley, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Beckley, WV employs 6.63k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Beckley, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,409 people), Educational Services (821 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (804 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($146,500), Utilities ($112,946), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($92,431).

Employment

Occupations

6.63k

2023 Value

± 717

−0.793%

1 Year decline

± 15.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Beckley, WV declined at a rate of −0.793%, from 6.69k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Beckley, WV, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (732 people), Sales & Related Occupations (693 people), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (586 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Beckley, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

6.63k

2023 Value

± 717

−0.793%

1 Year decline

± 15.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Beckley, WV declined at a rate of −0.793%, from 6.69k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Beckley, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,409 people), Educational Services (821 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (804 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Beckley, WV, though some of these residents may live in Beckley, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,579

Median earning men ± $11,969

$30,711

Median earning women ± $5,114

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($147,125), Wholesale Trade ($112,619), and Information ($105,394).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($70,821), Public Administration ($55,764), and Manufacturing ($37,668).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Y-Axis

0.583%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 690k people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 0.583% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in West Virginia.

Education

In 2023, universities in Beckley, WV awarded 330 degrees. The student population of Beckley, WV in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 793 male students and 983 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Beckley, WV are White (251 and 79.7%), followed by Unknown (31 and 9.84%), Black or African American (13 and 4.13%), and Two or More Races (12 and 3.81%).

The largest universities in Beckley, WV by number of degrees awarded are West Virginia University Institute of Technology (166 and 50.3%), Academy of Careers and Technology (106 and 32.1%), and Valley College-Beckley (58 and 17.6%).

The most popular majors in Beckley, WV are Medical Assistant (58 and 17.6%), Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (26 and 7.88%), and General Cosmetology (25 and 7.58%).

The median tuition cost in Beckley, WV for a public four year colleges is $8,064 for in-state students and $20,160 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Beckley, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 50.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,776 (44.7% men and 55.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 1,776 students enrolled in Beckley, WV, 44.7% men and 55.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,431 records, of which 57% were women and 43% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Biological Sciences
23 degrees awarded
General Studies
21 degrees awarded
General Psychology
17 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Beckley, WV was General Biological Sciences with 23 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Beckley, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

West Virginia University Institute of Technology
166 degrees awarded
Academy of Careers and Technology
106 degrees awarded
Valley College-Beckley
58 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was West Virginia University Institute of Technology with 166 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 139 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Beckley, WV, which is 0.728 times less than the 191 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 251 degrees mean that there were 8.1 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 31 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($8,064) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($950) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Measure

In 2023, 0.711% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.616% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (563k), Some college (280k), and Secondary Education (213k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Beckley, WV was $148,800 in 2023, which is 0.49 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $135,100 to $148,800, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Beckley, WV is 53.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Beckley, WV have an average commute time of 18.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Beckley, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$148,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$13,998

$3,837

Median Property Taxes

±$500

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Beckley, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Beckley, WV compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

53.2%

Homeownership

2023

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 53.2% of the housing units in Beckley, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 58.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Beckley, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Beckley, WV colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$39,939

Median Household Income

± $7,297

7.21k

Number of Households

± 738

In 2023, the median household income of the 7.21k households in Beckley, WV declined from $39,939 from the previous year's value of $41,277.

The following chart displays the households in Beckley, WV distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Beckley, WV is from Beckley, WV.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Beckley, WV across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (82%)
Carpooled (8.56%)
Worked At Home (3.23%)

In 2023, 82% of workers in Beckley, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.56%) and those who worked at home (3.23%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Beckley, WV have a shorter commute time (18.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.09% of the workforce in Beckley, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Beckley, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Beckley, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Beckley, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Beckley, WV (4.38k out of 16.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Beckley, WV is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

96.7% of the population of Beckley, WV has health coverage, with 33.5% on employee plans, 26.3% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 22.2% on non-group plans, and 2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see 1,319 patients per year on average, which represents a 3.61% increase from the previous year (1,273 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1705 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 558 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 32.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.28%

Uninsured

33.5%

Employer Coverage

26.3%

Medicaid

12.7%

Medicare

22.2%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Beckley, WV declined by 29.5% from 4.65% to 3.28%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Beckley, WV changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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