FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 2008
- Public Information Office
- 301-763-3691/763-6340 (fax)
- 301-457-1037 (TDD)
- e-mail: <pio@census.gov>
- CB08-CN.28
- American FactFinder
- 2008 Elections
West Virginia in Focus: Census Bureau Primary Snapshot
West Virginia, which holds its Republican caucus on Feb. 5, has a 2007 population of 1.8 million including a higher percentage of non-Hispanic whites, a lower percentage of blacks, and a lower percentage of Hispanics than the nation as a whole, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The state’s Democratic primary is on May 13.
About 57 percent of West Virginia’s voting-age citizens cast a ballot in the 2004 general election, lower than the national rate of 64 percent.
These and other statistics about West Virginia’ population at the state and local levels on topics ranging from language spoken to commute times can be found in the American FactFinder section of the Census Bureau Web site <http://factfinder.census.gov/>. More information about the nation’s voting record can be found in Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004 at <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html>.
Highlights include the following:
| Selected Characteristics | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 51.0% | 50.7% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino | 94.1% | 66.4% |
| Black alone | 3.3% | 12.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 14.8% |
| Median household income | $35,059 | $48,451 |
| Foreign born | 1.2% | 12.5% |
| Persons below poverty | 17.3% | 13.3% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.5% | 27.0% |
| Median home value | $89,700 | $185,200 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Total Population Estimates (2007), State Population Estimates by Characteristics (2006), American Community Survey (2006).
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