Raleigh County Demographics

A map of Raleigh County's Population by Race

Raleigh County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 73,195, a slight decrease from the 74,591 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.9% White, 6.7% Black, 3.5% Multiracial, 1.8% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Raleigh County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Raleigh has become less 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 Raleigh County, that probability was 26.7% in 2020 and 23.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Raleigh County is ranked the 6th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Raleigh County was ranked the 6th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Raleigh County's White Population

63,619 residents of Raleigh County, or 86.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Raleigh County is slightly lower than in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Raleigh County ranks 49th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Raleigh County's population has increased from 85.1% to 86.9%.

Raleigh County is less White than neighboring Fayette County (91.4% White), Wyoming County (96.8% White), Mercer County (88.6% White), Summers County (90.2% White), and Boone County (97.1% White).

Raleigh County's Black Population

4,868 residents of Raleigh County, or 6.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Raleigh County is slightly higher than in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Raleigh County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's Black population has declined by an estimated 15.9%. Black residents' share of Raleigh County's population has decreased from 7.8% to 6.7%.

Raleigh County is more Black than neighboring Fayette County (4.1% Black), Wyoming County (0.3% Black), Mercer County (4.1% Black), Summers County (6.1% Black), and Boone County (0.4% Black).

Raleigh County's Asian Population

632 residents of Raleigh County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Raleigh County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Raleigh County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 22.8%. Asian residents' share of Raleigh County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Raleigh County is more Asian than neighboring Fayette County (0.1% Asian), Wyoming County (0.1% Asian), Mercer County (0.2% Asian), Summers County (0% Asian), and Boone County (0.2% Asian).

Raleigh County's Hispanic Population

1,298 residents of Raleigh County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Raleigh County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Raleigh County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Raleigh County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Raleigh County is more Hispanic than neighboring Fayette County (1.4% Hispanic), Wyoming County (0.8% Hispanic), Mercer County (1.3% Hispanic), Summers County (1.3% Hispanic), and Boone County (0.7% Hispanic).

Raleigh County's Native American/Other Population

202 residents of Raleigh 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 Raleigh County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Raleigh County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 33.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Raleigh County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Raleigh County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Wyoming County (0% Native American/Other), and Boone County (0% Native American/Other). Raleigh County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Mercer County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Summers County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Raleigh County's Multiracial Population

2,576 residents of Raleigh County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Raleigh County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Raleigh County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Raleigh County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 13.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Raleigh County's population has decreased from 4.0% to 3.5%.

Raleigh County is more Multiracial than neighboring Fayette County (2.6% Multiracial), Wyoming County (2% Multiracial), Summers County (1.7% Multiracial), and Boone County (1.6% Multiracial). Raleigh County is less Multiracial than neighboring Mercer County (5.2% 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.