Counties with the most born-and-bred residents in West Virginia
The combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, the effects of which are still being felt in 2024, according to the latest Census Bureau data.
In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of densely populated, expensive cities like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many moved to Sun Belt states where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly lower.
But by the second year of the pandemic, it became clear that not everyone who was moving wanted to go far. A 2022 analysis of movement out of crowded cities from Stateline showed that many people leaving city centers moved to nearby suburbs in the same state. In Texas, for example, moves out of Houston rose 62% in the first month of the pandemic; meanwhile, the western suburb of Katy saw more new residents move in than any other part of the country.
According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September 2023, 53.5% of people who moved in 2022 did so within the same county and an additional 24.3% remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.
Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of younger adults living with their parents was on the rise and those patterns have continued. A late 2023 survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers live in their hometowns.
Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be close to family, to not having the resources to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.
In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in West Virginia using data from the Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents who were born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2022 five-year estimates. The percentage of residents who were born in another state, a U.S. territory, and another country is also included.
Read on to find out where the most loyal West Virginia residents live.
#50. Hardy County
- Population: 14,249
- Born in West Virginia: 5,838 (41.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,925 (55.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 381 (2.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 105 (0.7% of population)
#49. Hancock County
- Population: 28,907
- Born in West Virginia: 12,332 (42.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,287 (56.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 80 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 208 (0.7% of population)
#48. Pendleton County
- Population: 6,156
- Born in West Virginia: 3,244 (52.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,856 (46.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 50 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 6 (0.1% of population)
#47. Monongalia County
- Population: 105,988
- Born in West Virginia: 59,463 (56.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 40,441 (38.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 914 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 5,170 (4.9% of population)
#46. Brooke County
- Population: 22,349
- Born in West Virginia: 12,730 (57.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 9,165 (41.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 168 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 286 (1.3% of population)
#45. Grant County
- Population: 11,034
- Born in West Virginia: 6,454 (58.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,460 (40.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 30 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 90 (0.8% of population)
#44. Gilmer County
- Population: 7,444
- Born in West Virginia: 4,419 (59.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,804 (37.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 53 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 168 (2.3% of population)
#43. Monroe County
- Population: 12,438
- Born in West Virginia: 7,916 (63.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,269 (34.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 89 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 164 (1.3% of population)
#42. Preston County
- Population: 34,206
- Born in West Virginia: 22,527 (65.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,926 (31.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 236 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 517 (1.5% of population)
#41. Mason County
- Population: 25,488
- Born in West Virginia: 16,990 (66.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,351 (32.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 108 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 39 (0.2% of population)
#40. Pleasants County
- Population: 7,622
- Born in West Virginia: 5,138 (67.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,453 (32.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 0 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 31 (0.4% of population)
#39. Doddridge County
- Population: 7,847
- Born in West Virginia: 5,308 (67.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,403 (30.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 74 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 62 (0.8% of population)
#38. Mingo County
- Population: 23,466
- Born in West Virginia: 15,983 (68.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,347 (31.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 56 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 80 (0.3% of population)
#37. Ohio County
- Population: 42,224
- Born in West Virginia: 28,915 (68.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,354 (29.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 95 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 860 (2.0% of population)
#36. Pocahontas County
- Population: 7,940
- Born in West Virginia: 5,602 (70.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,254 (28.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 25 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 59 (0.7% of population)
#35. Tucker County
- Population: 6,747
- Born in West Virginia: 4,771 (70.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,939 (28.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 25 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 12 (0.2% of population)
#34. Greenbrier County
- Population: 32,995
- Born in West Virginia: 23,631 (71.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,647 (26.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 193 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 524 (1.6% of population)
#33. Summers County
- Population: 11,985
- Born in West Virginia: 8,636 (72.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,204 (26.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 54 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 91 (0.8% of population)
#32. Wood County
- Population: 84,272
- Born in West Virginia: 62,295 (73.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 20,614 (24.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 425 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 938 (1.1% of population)
#31. Mercer County
- Population: 59,530
- Born in West Virginia: 44,556 (74.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 14,225 (23.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 274 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 475 (0.8% of population)
#30. Cabell County
- Population: 93,965
- Born in West Virginia: 70,446 (75.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 21,326 (22.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 637 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,556 (1.7% of population)
#29. Wayne County
- Population: 38,933
- Born in West Virginia: 29,316 (75.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 9,021 (23.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 247 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 349 (0.9% of population)
#28. McDowell County
- Population: 18,911
- Born in West Virginia: 14,249 (75.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,363 (23.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 19 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 280 (1.5% of population)
#27. Calhoun County
- Population: 6,279
- Born in West Virginia: 4,733 (75.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,487 (23.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 48 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 11 (0.2% of population)
#26. Taylor County
- Population: 16,602
- Born in West Virginia: 12,555 (75.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,975 (23.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 5 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 67 (0.4% of population)
#25. Raleigh County
- Population: 74,303
- Born in West Virginia: 57,147 (76.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,050 (21.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 258 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 848 (1.1% of population)
#24. Putnam County
- Population: 57,347
- Born in West Virginia: 44,273 (77.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,959 (20.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 339 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 776 (1.4% of population)
#23. Randolph County
- Population: 28,005
- Born in West Virginia: 21,804 (77.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,910 (21.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 158 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 133 (0.5% of population)
#22. Marion County
- Population: 56,194
- Born in West Virginia: 43,813 (78.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,660 (20.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 283 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 438 (0.8% of population)
#21. Upshur County
- Population: 23,875
- Born in West Virginia: 18,669 (78.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,003 (21.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 100 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 103 (0.4% of population)
#20. Clay County
- Population: 8,049
- Born in West Virginia: 6,326 (78.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,720 (21.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 0 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 3 (0.0% of population)
#19. Tyler County
- Population: 8,336
- Born in West Virginia: 6,567 (78.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,719 (20.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 23 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 27 (0.3% of population)
#18. Barbour County
- Population: 15,527
- Born in West Virginia: 12,296 (79.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,088 (19.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 77 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 66 (0.4% of population)
#17. Wirt County
- Population: 5,202
- Born in West Virginia: 4,139 (79.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 987 (19.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 66 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 10 (0.2% of population)
#16. Jackson County
- Population: 27,868
- Born in West Virginia: 22,213 (79.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,235 (18.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 90 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 330 (1.2% of population)
#15. Ritchie County
- Population: 8,507
- Born in West Virginia: 6,791 (79.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,595 (18.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 30 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 91 (1.1% of population)
#14. Fayette County
- Population: 40,545
- Born in West Virginia: 32,372 (79.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,934 (19.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 102 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 137 (0.3% of population)
#13. Marshall County
- Population: 30,509
- Born in West Virginia: 24,422 (80.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,752 (18.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 130 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 205 (0.7% of population)
#12. Braxton County
- Population: 12,505
- Born in West Virginia: 10,019 (80.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,426 (19.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 43 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 17 (0.1% of population)
#11. Harrison County
- Population: 65,862
- Born in West Virginia: 52,797 (80.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,200 (18.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 210 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 655 (1.0% of population)
#10. Roane County
- Population: 14,027
- Born in West Virginia: 11,255 (80.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,594 (18.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 127 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 51 (0.4% of population)
#9. Kanawha County
- Population: 179,895
- Born in West Virginia: 145,471 (80.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 30,211 (16.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 809 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,404 (1.9% of population)
#8. Wetzel County
- Population: 14,431
- Born in West Virginia: 11,813 (81.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,540 (17.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 30 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 48 (0.3% of population)
#7. Nicholas County
- Population: 24,624
- Born in West Virginia: 20,481 (83.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,685 (15.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 94 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 364 (1.5% of population)
#6. Lewis County
- Population: 16,920
- Born in West Virginia: 14,294 (84.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,511 (14.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 59 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 56 (0.3% of population)
#5. Boone County
- Population: 21,705
- Born in West Virginia: 18,426 (84.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,172 (14.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 15 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 92 (0.4% of population)
#4. Webster County
- Population: 8,362
- Born in West Virginia: 7,132 (85.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,154 (13.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 74 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 2 (0.0% of population)
#3. Logan County
- Population: 32,350
- Born in West Virginia: 27,633 (85.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,448 (13.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 96 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 173 (0.5% of population)
#2. Lincoln County
- Population: 20,410
- Born in West Virginia: 17,827 (87.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,360 (11.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 145 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 78 (0.4% of population)
#1. Wyoming County
- Population: 21,237
- Born in West Virginia: 19,032 (89.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,167 (10.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 35 (0.2% of population)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.
