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Barbour County, WV: population growth, jobs and income

Barbour County gained 78 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.5%).

Barbour County had an estimated 15,414 residents in 2025, down 0.3% (49 fewer people) since 2020. That is faster than West Virginia as a whole (−1.4%), and the 10th fastest growth of 55 counties in West Virginia.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Barbour County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Barbour County, ranked against West Virginia and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$803/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes13.6%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months22025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

2

2025

0.1 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 154 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 3,120 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +18.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.2% in 2025, 1.0 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 2 new homes in 2025, or 0.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $51,394 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +32.1% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,981st.

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Barbour County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202515,414+78
202415,336−112
202315,448+51
202215,397−49
202115,446−17
202015,463–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Barbour County

Barbour County lost 49 people since 2020 even though 362 more people moved in from other U.S. counties than left: deaths outnumbered births by 437, and net international migration added 33.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−76−437
International migrationfrom and to other countries+3+33
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+154+362
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−3−7
Total change+78−49

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn West VirginiaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth10th of 551,981st of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents7th of 55535th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth3rd of 55255th of 3,092
Median household income37th of 552,670th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate39th of 552,645th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents41st of 542,702nd of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Barbour County, WV as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Barbour County tied with Upshur County for the strongest population change among its neighbouring counties (−0.3%, 2020–25).

Its median household income ($51,394, 2020–24) is lower than in all 6 of its neighbouring counties.

Barbour County, WV and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Barbour County, WV This county15,414−0.3%10.00.1$51,394
Taylor County, WV16,287−2.4%−8.70.0$57,795
Upshur County, WV23,758−0.3%6.01.3$54,338
Harrison County, WV64,221−2.5%2.23.0$60,377
Randolph County, WV26,882−3.6%−1.50.0$52,757
Tucker County, WV6,540−3.2%8.60.2$53,358
Preston County, WV34,004−0.6%5.20.2$61,880

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 55 West Virginia counties · Every state

Questions

Is Barbour County growing?

No. Its population fell 0.3% between 2020 and 2025, about 49 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). West Virginia as a whole changed −1.4% over the same years. That ranks 10th of 55 counties in West Virginia for population growth.

How many people moved to Barbour County?

On net, about 154 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Barbour County?

It averaged 5.2% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Barbour County?

About 15,414 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Barbour County?

Private employers there had 3,120 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +18.4% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in West Virginia

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other West Virginia county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Barbour County data alerts

Email me when Barbour County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Barbour County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.