Tag: U.S. Census Bureau

State Poverty Rate Continues to Increase

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20 percent of West Virginians were living in poverty last year, the ninth highest rate in…

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20 percent of West Virginians were living in poverty last year, the ninth highest rate in the nation.

The federal government reported Thursday that 380,000 of the state’s 1.8 million residents lived below the federal poverty line of $24,250 for a family of four.

The report says one quarter of West Virginia’s children reside in homes earning about $24,000 annually.

The state’s median household income was an estimated $41,059 in 2014, about $10,000 less than the nationwide average.

The news comes two days after the federal government announced that West Virginia has the nation’s highest unemployment rate of 7.6 percent. In August, the federal government announced the state has the lowest civilian workforce participation.

Number of Uninsured West Virginians Falls

According to new information from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state of West Virginia experienced one of the biggest drops of uninsured residents in the…

According to new information from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state of West 

  Virginia experienced one of the biggest drops of uninsured residents in the country between 2013 and 2014.

The report released Wednesday says that the number of uninsured in West Virginia dropped from 14 percent in 2013 to 8.6 percent in 2014, with approximately 99,000 of 255,000 uninsured state residents gaining either private or government coverage during that time period.

Renate Pore, the director of health policy fof West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, tells the Charleston Gazette-Mail that nearly 200,000 West Virginians have become insured since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014.

Nationally, the uninsured rate decreased by 2.9 percentage points between 2013 and 2014 to 10.4 percent.

Charleston Only W.Va. City Above 50,000 People

The U.S. Census Bureau says Charleston is hanging on as the only city in West Virginia with a population over 50,000, while Morgantown is now the state's…

The U.S. Census Bureau says Charleston is hanging on as the only city in West Virginia with a population over 50,000, while Morgantown is now the state’s third-largest city.

Census estimates released Thursday show Charleston had 50,404 residents in 2014. That’s down about 1,000 from the 2010 Census.

The estimates show Huntington remains the second-largest city at 48,807, losing about 330 residents since the 2010 Census.

Morgantown is the third largest at 31,073 residents. The home of West Virginia University has grown by 4.7 percent in four years.

Parkersburg has seen a population drop of about 500 residents since the 2010 Census and slipped to fourth at 30,981 residents.

Despite a drop of 700, Wheeling remains fifth at 27,790 residents.

Which West Virginia Counties Have Seen The Most Population Loss In Recent Years?

Overall, West Virginia continues to see a decline in population since 2012. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that, while the state’s population grew from 2010 (1,854,176)  to 2012 (1,856,313) the state has seen a drop-off in consecutive years since–with the last estimate from July 1, 2014 putting West Virginia’s population at 1,850,326.

Last week, The Charleston Gazette reported that West Virginia is losing population faster than any other state, with about 3,300 total residents lost from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2014. That translates to about 0.2 percent total population loss in just the one year. Those numbers are ahead of the only other states that saw population loss, based on 2013 to 2014 records: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico and Vermont. 

From 2010 to 2014, 39 of the state’s counties lost residents, while 16 showed an increase. Southern West Virginia continues to see sharp population decline, while the Eastern Panhandle and Monongalia County have seen a boom in recent years. However, the increase of natural gas production in the north central and Northern Panhandle regions hasn’t kept some of those counties from seeing a decline in population in recent years.

Census: W.Va. 1 of 6 States to Lose Population

The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show West Virginia was one of six states to lose population.

According to the numbers released this week, West Virginia lost nearly 3,279 residents between July 2013 and July 2014. The drop of .18 percent is the highest percentage drop across the country.

The Charleston Gazette reports that only Illinois lost more total residents than the Mountain State. Connecticut, New Mexico, Alaska and Vermont also lost population.

North Dakota was the fastest-growing state with a 2.2 percent increase. The state remains one of the least-populated but has seen a boom in the oil and gas industry.

California remained the nation’s most populous state in 2014 with 38.8 million residents. The U.S. population increased by 2.4 million to 318.9 million.

Data Shows Rate of Child Poverty in W.Va. Growing

Data released Thursday by the U. S. Census Bureau shows the percentage of West Virginians living in poverty stayed consistent last year, but the number of children living below the poverty line has grown.

According to the 2013 American Community Survey, one in three children in West Virginia under the age of 5 lived in poverty in 2013.

“That’s something that should really conjure up action from our state legislators and other people in the community,” said Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

The state’s child poverty rate in 2013 was 26.6 percent, the 7th highest in the nation. An estimated 97,818 children lived below the poverty line in 2013, increasing by more than 8,000 children from 2012.

Although state lawmakers have focused more attention on the issue in recent years, Boettner said those initiatives haven’t taken effect yet, delaying the impact they could have on the poverty rate.

Boettner used the minimum wage increase as an example. The legislature passed a bill to incrementally increase the minimum wage in West Virginia from $7.25 to $8.75, but the increase won’t fully go into effect until 2016.

“One thing that’s really important to keep in mind is that we don’t have to live in persistent poverty in West Virginia,” Boettner said. “That includes investments in early childhood intervention and education programs, enacting a refundable state earned income tax credit and investing in higher education.”

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