History

U.S. Census Bureau History: West Virginia's 150th Birthday

Lithograph of Harper’s Ferry, WV, by Currier and Ives, ca. 1860.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union on June 20, 1863. The state was formed from the western counties of Virginia after that state seceded from the United States during the Civil War. Below are some facts about West Virginia from the U.S. Census Bureau:

• In 1860, the 50 Virginia counties that would become West Virginia had a population of 376,688. The new state’s population as of the 1870 Census was 442,014.
• In 1940, when the Census Bureau first conducted the Census of Housing, there were 459,725 housing units in West Virginia. In 2011, there were 844,623 housing units.
• In 1950, 24.5 percent of West Virginians had at least a high school education. By 2011, 82.6 percent of the population had completed high school or more education.
• According to the 1950 Census, 6.5 percent of West Virginia’s labor force was unemployed in 1950. In 2011, the unemployment rate was 7.5 percent.
• West Virginia is one of the leading producers of coal in the United States. In 2009 [PDF 62 KB], there were 283 coal mines in the state, ranking second to Kentucky's 449 mines.