Fayette County Demographics

A map of Fayette County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	36,140	36,308	91.4%	89.7%
Black	1,640	1,662	4.1%	4.1%
Multiracial	1,033	1,673	2.6%	4.1%
Hispanic	549	525	1.4%	1.3%
Native American/Other	136	215	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	21	105	0.1%	0.3%

Fayette County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 39,519, a slight decrease from the 40,488 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.4% White, 4.1% Black, 2.6% Multiracial, 1.4% Hispanic, 0.3% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Fayette County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Fayette has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is less diverse than West Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Fayette County, that probability was 19.2% in 2020 and 16.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Fayette County is ranked the 13th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Fayette County was ranked the 13th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Fayette County's White Population

36,140 residents of Fayette County, or 91.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Fayette County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Fayette County's population has increased from 89.7% to 91.4%.

Fayette County is more White than neighboring Raleigh County (86.9% White), Summers County (90.2% White), and Kanawha County (85.9% White). Fayette County is less White than neighboring Nicholas County (96.3% White), and Clay County (96.8% White).

Fayette County's Black Population

1,640 residents of Fayette County, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Fayette County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Black population has declined by an estimated 1.3%. Black residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.1%.

Fayette County is more Black than neighboring Nicholas County (0.5% Black), and Clay County (0.1% Black). Fayette County is less Black than neighboring Raleigh County (6.7% Black), Summers County (6.1% Black), and Kanawha County (4.8% Black).

Fayette County's Asian Population

21 residents of Fayette County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Fayette County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 80.0%. Asian residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Fayette County is more Asian than neighboring Clay County (0% Asian), and Summers County (0% Asian). Fayette County is less Asian than neighboring Raleigh County (0.9% Asian), Nicholas County (0.2% Asian), and Kanawha County (1.1% Asian).

Fayette County's Hispanic Population

549 residents of Fayette County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Fayette County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.4%.

Fayette County is more Hispanic than neighboring Nicholas County (1.1% Hispanic), Clay County (0.2% Hispanic), and Summers County (1.3% Hispanic). Fayette County is less Hispanic than neighboring Raleigh County (1.8% Hispanic), and Kanawha County (1.6% Hispanic).

Fayette County's Native American/Other Population

136 residents of Fayette County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Fayette County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 36.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Fayette County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Nicholas County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Clay County (0.1% Native American/Other). Fayette County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Summers County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Kanawha County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Fayette County's Multiracial Population

1,033 residents of Fayette County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Fayette County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 38.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Fayette County's population has decreased from 4.1% to 2.6%.

Fayette County is more Multiracial than neighboring Nicholas County (1.8% Multiracial), and Summers County (1.7% Multiracial). Fayette County is less Multiracial than neighboring Raleigh County (3.5% Multiracial), Clay County (2.9% Multiracial), and Kanawha County (6.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.