Editing McDowell County, West Virginia (section)

==Demographics==
The county hit its peak of population in 1950 with almost 99,000 people, but job losses in the next decades caused sharp declines in population.

{{US Census population
|1860= 1535
|1870= 1952
|1880= 3074
|1890= 7300
|1900= 18747
|1910= 47856
|1920= 68571
|1930= 90479
|1940= 94354
|1950= 98887
|1960= 71359
|1970= 50666
|1980= 49899
|1990= 35233
|2000= 27329
|2010= 22113
|2020= 19111
|estyear=2023
|estimate=17439
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|access-date=September 28, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |archive-date=April 26, 2015 |access-date=January 10, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br>1790–1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=January 10, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wv190090.txt |access-date=January 10, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br>1990–2000<ref>{{Cite web|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |access-date=January 10, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010–2020<ref name="QF"/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''McDowell County, West Virginia – Racial Composition'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McDowell County, West Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=McDowell%20County,%20West%20Virginia&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref><br>(NH = Non-Hispanic)<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|15,871
|83.0%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|2,139
|11.2%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|20
|0.1%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|20
|0.1%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|4
|0.0%
|-
|[[Some Other Race]] (NH)
|45
|0.2%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|622
|3.3%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|390
|2.0%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''19,111'''
|'''100.0%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 19,111 people, 7,483 households, 4,627 families residing in the county.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=McDowell%20County,%20West%20Virginia%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=September 28, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|35.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,344 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 84.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 11.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.0% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.3% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|some other races]] and 3.4% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 2.0% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in McDowell County, West Virginia |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/mcdowell-county-west-virginia/050-54047/ |access-date=September 28, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 22,113 people, 9,176 households, and 6,196 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{Cite web |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US54047 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023040/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US54047 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|41.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 11,322 housing units at an average density of {{convert|21.2|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{Cite web |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US54047 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213183902/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US54047 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 89.1% White, 9.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.4% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1" /> The largest ancestry groups were: 13.7% Irish, 12.0% German, 11.5% English, 8.0% American, 2.8% Sub-Saharan African, 2.7% Italian, 2.0% Dutch, and 1.1% Scotch-Irish. <ref name="census-dp2">{{Cite web |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US54047 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025944/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US54047 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

Of the 9,176 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 43.8 years.<ref name="census-dp1" />

The median income for a household in the county was $22,154 and the median income for a family was $28,413. Males had a median income of $31,229 versus $26,776 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,955. About 27.5% of families and 32.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 44.3% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{Cite web |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US54047 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213011743/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US54047 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

===Life expectancy===
Of 3,142 counties in the United States in 2013, McDowell County ranked last in the life expectancy of both male and female residents. Males in McDowell County lived an average of 63.5 years and females lived an average of 71.5 years, compared to the national average for life expectancy of 76.5 for males and 81.2 for females. Moreover, the average life expectancy in McDowell County declined by 3.2 years for males and 4.1 years for females between 1985 and 2013, compared to a national average for the same period of an increased life span of 5.5 years for men and 3.1 years for women. High rates of smoking and obesity and a low level of physical activity appear to be contributing factors to the declining life expectancy for both sexes.<ref>[http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_McDowell_County_West_Virginia.pdf "McDowell County, West Virginia"], healthdata.org. Retrieved January 12, 2017.</ref>

In 2020, the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] ranked McDowell County as 55th of 55 counties in West Virginia in "health outcomes," as measured by length and quality of life.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 West Virginia Report |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/west-virginia/2020/rankings/outcomes/overall |access-date=December 27, 2020 |website=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation}}</ref>

====Drug-induced deaths====
In 2015, McDowell County had the highest rate of drug-induced deaths of any county in the United States, with 141 deaths per 100,000 people. The rate for the United States as a whole was 14.7 per 100,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Increases in Drug and Opioid Overdose Deaths — United States, 2000–2014 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm |access-date=March 27, 2018 |website=www.cdc.gov |language=en}}</ref> Neighboring [[Wyoming County, West Virginia|Wyoming County]] had the second highest rate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2015 Results |url=https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/datarequest/D76;jsessionid=E63AD90E918B8FA3E71818EFDD738927?stage=results&action=sort&direction=MEASURE_DESCEND&measure=D76.M3#Citation |access-date=January 11, 2017 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref>