Hancock County Demographics

A map of Hancock County's Population by Race

Hancock County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 28,431, a slight decrease from the 29,095 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.0% White, 3.5% Multiracial, 1.8% Black, 1.7% Hispanic, 0.5% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Hancock County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Hancock 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 Hancock County, that probability was 16.9% in 2020 and 15.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Hancock County is ranked the 19th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Hancock County was ranked the 19th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Hancock County's White Population

26,151 residents of Hancock County, or 92.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Hancock County is slightly higher than in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Hancock County ranks 39th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.3%. White residents' share of Hancock County's population has increased from 91.0% to 92.0%.

Hancock County is more White than neighboring Jefferson County (88.4% White), Beaver County (86.3% White), and Ohio County (89.8% White). Hancock County is less White than neighboring Brooke County (92.4% White).

Hancock County's Black Population

501 residents of Hancock County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Hancock County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Hancock County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's Black population has declined by an estimated 27.9%. Black residents' share of Hancock County's population has decreased from 2.4% to 1.8%.

Hancock County is more Black than neighboring Brooke County (1.5% Black). Hancock County is less Black than neighboring Jefferson County (5.1% Black), Beaver County (6.2% Black), Columbiana County (1.9% Black), and Ohio County (3.3% Black).

Hancock County's Asian Population

141 residents of Hancock County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Hancock County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Hancock County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 28.2%. Asian residents' share of Hancock County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Hancock County is more Asian than neighboring Columbiana County (0.3% Asian). Hancock County is less Asian than neighboring Jefferson County (0.6% Asian), and Brooke County (0.7% Asian).

Hancock County's Hispanic Population

496 residents of Hancock County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Hancock County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Hancock County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 17.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Hancock County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.7%.

Hancock County is more Hispanic than neighboring Brooke County (1.4% Hispanic). Hancock County is less Hispanic than neighboring Jefferson County (1.9% Hispanic), Beaver County (2.4% Hispanic), and Columbiana County (1.9% Hispanic).

Hancock County's Native American/Other Population

144 residents of Hancock County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Hancock County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Hancock County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 27.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Hancock County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Hancock County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Jefferson County (0.4% Native American/Other), Brooke County (0.1% Native American/Other), Beaver County (0.4% Native American/Other), Columbiana County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Ohio County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Hancock County's Multiracial Population

998 residents of Hancock County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Hancock County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Hancock County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Hancock County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 21.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Hancock County's population has decreased from 4.4% to 3.5%.

Hancock County is less Multiracial than neighboring Brooke County (4% Multiracial), Beaver County (4.3% Multiracial), and Ohio County (4.5% 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.