Preston County Demographics

A map of Preston County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	29,815	30,348	87.3%	88.7%
Black	2,208	2,001	6.5%	5.8%
Multiracial	1,189	1,008	3.5%	2.9%
Hispanic	661	695	1.9%	2.0%
Native American/Other	162	111	0.5%	0.3%
Asian	125	53	0.4%	0.2%

Preston County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 34,160, a less than 1% change from the 34,216 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 87.3% White, 6.5% Black, 3.5% Multiracial, 1.9% Hispanic, 0.5% Native American/Other, and 0.4% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Preston County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Preston has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more 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 Preston County, that probability was 20.9% in 2020 and 23.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Preston County is ranked the 15th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Preston County was ranked the 15th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Preston County's White Population

29,815 residents of Preston County, or 87.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Preston County is slightly lower than in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Preston County ranks 45th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.8%. White residents' share of Preston County's population has decreased from 88.7% to 87.3%.

Preston County is more White than neighboring Monongalia County (85.8% White). Preston County is less White than neighboring Tucker County (96.9% White), Garrett County (94.7% White), Taylor County (94.9% White), and Fayette County (89.1% White).

Preston County's Black Population

2,208 residents of Preston County, or 6.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Preston County is slightly higher than in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Preston County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's Black population has grown by an estimated 10.3%. Black residents' share of Preston County's population has increased from 5.8% to 6.5%.

Preston County is more Black than neighboring Tucker County (0% Black), Garrett County (0.6% Black), Taylor County (0.6% Black), Monongalia County (3.1% Black), and Fayette County (3.9% Black).

Preston County's Asian Population

125 residents of Preston County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Preston County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Preston County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 135.8%. Asian residents' share of Preston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Preston County is more Asian than neighboring Tucker County (0% Asian), and Taylor County (0% Asian). Preston County is less Asian than neighboring Garrett County (0.5% Asian), Monongalia County (3.5% Asian), and Fayette County (0.5% Asian).

Preston County's Hispanic Population

661 residents of Preston County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Preston County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Preston County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 4.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Preston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.9%.

Preston County is more Hispanic than neighboring Tucker County (0.5% Hispanic), Garrett County (1.4% Hispanic), Taylor County (1% Hispanic), and Fayette County (1.4% Hispanic). Preston County is less Hispanic than neighboring Monongalia County (3.2% Hispanic).

Preston County's Native American/Other Population

162 residents of Preston 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 Preston County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Preston County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 45.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Preston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Preston County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Tucker County (0% Native American/Other), Taylor County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Fayette County (0.4% Native American/Other). Preston County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Garrett County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Monongalia County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Preston County's Multiracial Population

1,189 residents of Preston County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Preston County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Preston County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Preston County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 18.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Preston County's population has increased from 2.9% to 3.5%.

Preston County is more Multiracial than neighboring Tucker County (2.6% Multiracial), Garrett County (2% Multiracial), and Taylor County (3.3% Multiracial). Preston County is less Multiracial than neighboring Monongalia County (3.7% Multiracial), and Fayette County (4.8% 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.