Roane County Demographics

A map of Roane County's Population by Race

Roane County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 13,786, a slight decrease from the 14,028 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 95.0% White, 3.3% Multiracial, 1.2% Hispanic, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Roane County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Roane has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably 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 Roane County, that probability was 10.9% in 2020 and 9.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Roane County is ranked the 39th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Roane County was ranked the 39th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Roane County's White Population

13,101 residents of Roane County, or 95.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Roane County is higher than in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Roane County ranks 24th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Roane County's population has increased from 94.3% to 95.0%.

Roane County is more White than neighboring Kanawha County (85.9% White). Roane County is less White than neighboring Calhoun County (95.6% White), Wirt County (96.4% White), Jackson County (95.6% White), and Clay County (96.8% White).

Roane County's Black Population

3 residents of Roane County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Roane County is slightly lower than in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Roane County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's Black population has declined by an estimated 91.4%. Black residents' share of Roane County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Roane County is less Black than neighboring Calhoun County (0.1% Black), Jackson County (0.1% Black), Clay County (0.1% Black), and Kanawha County (4.8% Black).

Roane County's Asian Population

34 residents of Roane County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Roane County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Roane County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.5%. Asian residents' share of Roane County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Roane County is more Asian than neighboring Calhoun County (0% Asian), and Clay County (0% Asian). Roane County is less Asian than neighboring Jackson County (0.4% Asian), and Kanawha County (1.1% Asian).

Roane County's Hispanic Population

167 residents of Roane County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Roane County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Roane County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Roane County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Roane County is more Hispanic than neighboring Calhoun County (0.6% Hispanic), Wirt County (0% Hispanic), Jackson County (1.1% Hispanic), and Clay County (0.2% Hispanic). Roane County is less Hispanic than neighboring Kanawha County (1.6% Hispanic).

Roane County's Native American/Other Population

27 residents of Roane County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Roane County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Roane County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 27.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Roane County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Roane County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clay County (0.1% Native American/Other). Roane County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Calhoun County (0.7% Native American/Other), Jackson County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Kanawha County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Roane County's Multiracial Population

454 residents of Roane County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Roane County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Roane County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Roane County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 15.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Roane County's population has decreased from 3.8% to 3.3%.

Roane County is more Multiracial than neighboring Calhoun County (2.9% Multiracial), Wirt County (3.2% Multiracial), Jackson County (2.3% Multiracial), and Clay County (2.9% Multiracial). Roane County is less Multiracial than neighboring 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.