West Virginia statistical areas

The U.S. State of West Virginia currently has 20 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated five combined statistical areas, 10 metropolitan statistical areas, and five micropolitan statistical areas in West Virginia.^[1] As of 2023, the largest of these is the Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA, which includes West Virginia's capital and largest city, Charleston.

Statistical areas

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.^[2] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.

The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,^[2] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".^[2] The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.^[2]

The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.^[2] The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.

Table

The 20 United States statistical areas and 55 counties of the State of West Virginia^[a]

Combined statistical area[1]	2023 population (est.)[3]	Core-based statistical area[1]	2023 population (est.)[3]	County	2023 population (est.)[3]	Metropolitan division[1]	2023 population (est.)[3]
Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA	643,394 389,050 (WV)	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA	368,261 186,730 (WV)	Cabell County, West Virginia	92,082	none
				Putnam County, West Virginia	56,962
				Lawrence County, Ohio	56,118
				Boyd County, Kentucky	47,826
				Wayne County, West Virginia	37,686
				Greenup County, Kentucky	35,221
				Carter County, Kentucky	26,366
				Lawrence County, Kentucky	16,000
		Charleston, WV MSA	203,164	Kanawha County, West Virginia	174,805
				Boone County, West Virginia	20,576
				Clay County, West Virginia	7,783
		Portsmouth, OH μSA	71,969	Scioto County, Ohio	71,969
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA	10,028,331 233,525 (WV)	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA	6,304,975 59,787 (WV)	Fairfax County, Virginia	1,141,878	Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, VA-WV MD	3,154,735 59,787 (WV)
				Prince William County, Virginia	489,640
				Loudoun County, Virginia	436,347
				Arlington County, Virginia	234,162
				City of Alexandria, Virginia	165,428
				Stafford County, Virginia	155,230
				Spotsylvania County, Virginia	149,588
				Fauquier County, Virginia	75,165
				Jefferson County, West Virginia	59,787
				Culpeper County, Virginia	54,973
				City of Manassas, Virginia	42,696
				Warren County, Virginia	41,843
				City of Fredericksburg, Virginia	28,928
				City of Fairfax, Virginia	25,144
				City of Manassas Park, Virginia	16,361
				Clarke County, Virginia	15,466
				City of Falls Church, Virginia	14,685
				Rappahannock County, Virginia	7,414
				Prince George's County, Maryland	947,430	Washington, DC-MD MD	1,798,375
				District of Columbia	678,972
				Charles County, Maryland	171,973
				Montgomery County, Maryland	1,058,474	Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD MD	1,351,865
				Frederick County, Maryland	293,391
		Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA	2,834,316	Baltimore County, Maryland	844,703	none
				Anne Arundel County, Maryland	594,582
				Baltimore City, Maryland	565,239
				Howard County, Maryland	336,001
				Harford County, Maryland	264,644
				Carroll County, Maryland	176,639
				Queen Anne's County, Maryland	52,508
		Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA	305,902 150,089 (WV)	Washington County, Maryland	155,813
				Berkeley County, West Virginia	132,440
				Morgan County, West Virginia	17,649
		Lexington Park, MD MSA	210,009	St. Mary's County, Maryland	115,281
				Calvert County, Maryland	94,728
		Chambersburg, PA MSA	157,854	Franklin County, Pennsylvania	157,854
		Winchester, VA-WV MSA	147,260 23,649 (WV)	Frederick County, Virginia	95,994
				City of Winchester, Virginia	27,617
				Hampshire County, West Virginia	23,649
		Easton, MD μSA	38,574	Talbot County, Maryland	38,574
		Lake of the Woods, VA μSA	37,823	Orange County, Virginia	37,823
		Cambridge, MD μSA	32,879	Dorchester County, Maryland	32,879
Fairmont-Clarksburg, WV CSA	144,514	Clarksburg, WV μSA	88,707	Harrison County, West Virginia	64,639
				Taylor County, West Virginia	16,388
				Doddridge County, West Virginia	7,680
		Fairmont, WV μSA	55,807	Marion County, West Virginia	55,807
none		Morgantown, WV MSA	141,817	Monongalia County, West Virginia	107,718
				Preston County, West Virginia	34,099
		Beckley, WV MSA	111,428	Raleigh County, West Virginia	72,356
				Fayette County, West Virginia	39,072
Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH CSA	146,629 88,052 (WV)	Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA	88,052	Wood County, West Virginia	83,052
				Wirt County, West Virginia	5,000
		Marietta, OH μSA	58,577	Washington County, Ohio	58,577
none		Wheeling, WV-OH MSA	135,517 70,599 (WV)	Belmont County, Ohio	64,918
				Ohio County, West Virginia	41,194
				Marshall County, West Virginia	29,405
		Bluefield, WV-VA μSA	97,177 58,057 (WV)	Mercer County, West Virginia	58,057
				Tazewell County, Virginia	39,120
Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville, PA-OH-WV CSA	2,727,866 49,518 (WV)	Pittsburgh, PA MSA	2,422,725	Allegheny County, Pennsylvania	1,224,825
				Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania	351,163
				Washington County, Pennsylvania	210,232
				Butler County, Pennsylvania	198,413
				Beaver County, Pennsylvania	165,631
				Fayette County, Pennsylvania	123,915
				Lawrence County, Pennsylvania	84,472
				Armstrong County, Pennsylvania	64,074
		Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA	113,544 49,518 (WV)	Jefferson County, Ohio	64,026
				Hancock County, West Virginia	28,145
				Brooke County, West Virginia	21,373
		Hermitage, PA μSA	108,503	Mercer County, Pennsylvania	108,503
		Indiana, PA μSA	83,094	Indiana County, Pennsylvania	83,094
none		Elkins, WV μSA	27,350	Randolph County, West Virginia	27,350
		Cumberland, MD-WV μSA	94,140 26,867 (WV)	Allegany County, Maryland	67,273
				Mineral County, West Virginia	26,867
		none		Greenbrier County, West Virginia	32,149
				Logan County, West Virginia	30,827
				Jackson County, West Virginia	27,593
				Mason County, West Virginia	24,765
				Nicholas County, West Virginia	24,169
				Upshur County, West Virginia	23,529
				Mingo County, West Virginia	22,023
				Wyoming County, West Virginia	20,277
				Lincoln County, West Virginia	19,701
				McDowell County, West Virginia	17,439
				Lewis County, West Virginia	16,500
				Barbour County, West Virginia	15,378
				Hardy County, West Virginia	14,251
				Wetzel County, West Virginia	13,890
				Roane County, West Virginia	13,743
				Monroe County, West Virginia	12,382
				Braxton County, West Virginia	12,162
				Summers County, West Virginia	11,581
				Grant County, West Virginia	10,921
				Ritchie County, West Virginia	8,167
				Webster County, West Virginia	8,045
				Tyler County, West Virginia	7,919
				Pocahontas County, West Virginia	7,765
				Pleasants County, West Virginia	7,428
				Gilmer County, West Virginia	7,254
				Tucker County, West Virginia	6,604
				Pendleton County, West Virginia	6,029
				Calhoun County, West Virginia	5,959
State of West Virginia					1,770,071

Core-based statistical areas

The following table provides the in-state population ranking of each CBSA along with its rate of population change over time.

The 15 core-based statistical areas of the State of West Virginia^[b]

2023 rank	Core-based statistical area[1]	Population
		2023 estimate[3]	Change	2020 Census[4]	Change	2010 Census[5]
1	Charleston, WV MSA	203,164	−3.53%	210,605	−7.25%	227,078
2	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA (WV)	186,730	−2.12%	190,772	−1.81%	194,286
3	Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA (WV)	150,089	+7.87%	139,139	+14.32%	121,710
4	Morgantown, WV MSA	141,817	+1.27%	140,038	+7.96%	129,709
5	Beckley, WV MSA	111,428	−3.17%	115,079	−7.86%	124,898
6	Clarksburg, WV μSA	88,707	−1.91%	90,434	−3.99%	94,196
7	Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA	88,052	−1.61%	89,490	−3.43%	92,673
8	Wheeling, WV-OH MSA (WV)	70,599	−3.31%	73,016	−5.85%	77,550
9	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA (WV)	59,787	+3.62%	57,701	+7.86%	53,498
10	Bluefield, WV-VA μSA (WV)	58,057	−2.69%	59,664	−4.18%	62,264
11	Fairmont, WV μSA	55,807	−0.71%	56,205	−0.38%	56,418
12	Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA (WV)	49,518	−4.14%	51,654	−5.65%	54,745
13	Elkins, WV μSA	27,350	−2.08%	27,932	−5.01%	29,405
14	Cumberland, MD-WV μSA (WV)	26,867	−0.26%	26,938	−4.52%	28,212
15	Winchester, VA-WV MSA (WV)	23,649	+2.41%	23,093	−3.63%	23,964
	Bluefield, WV-VA μSA	97,177	−2.91%	100,093	−6.75%	107,342
	Cumberland, MD-WV μSA	94,140	−0.95%	95,044	−7.99%	103,299
	Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA	305,902	+4.10%	293,844	+9.18%	269,140
	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA	368,261	−2.10%	376,155	−2.74%	386,768
	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA	6,304,975	+0.42%	6,278,542	+13.18%	5,547,495
	Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA	113,544	−2.87%	116,903	−6.07%	124,454
	Wheeling, WV-OH MSA	135,517	−2.86%	139,513	−5.70%	147,950
	Winchester, VA-WV MSA	147,260	+3.24%	142,632	+11.02%	128,472

Combined statistical areas

The following table provides the in-state population ranking of each CSA along with its rate of population change over time.

The five combined statistical areas of the State of West Virginia^[c]

2023 rank	Combined statistical area[1]	Population
		2023 estimate[3]	Change	2020 Census[4]	Change	2010 Census[5]
1	Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA (WV)	389,050	−3.07%	401,377	−4.74%	421,364
2	Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA (WV)	233,525	+6.18%	219,933	+10.42%	199,172
3	Clarksburg-Fairmont, WV CSA	144,514	−1.45%	146,639	−2.64%	150,614
4	Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH CSA (WV)	88,052	−1.61%	89,490	−3.43%	92,673
5	Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville, PA-OH-WV CSA (WV)	49,518	−4.14%	51,654	−5.65%	54,745
	Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA	643,394	−2.63%	660,768	−4.70%	693,345
	Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH CSA	146,629	−1.76%	149,261	−3.36%	154,451
	Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville, PA-OH-WV CSA	2,727,866	−1.44%	2,767,801	−0.34%	2,777,365
	Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA	10,069,592	+0.41%	10,028,331	+10.17%	9,102,983

See also

• Geography portal
• United States portal
• West Virginia portal

• Geography of West Virginia
  • Demographics of West Virginia

Notes

1. An out-of-state area and its population are displayed in green. An area that extends into more than one state is displayed in purple. A purple population number over a black population number show the total population versus the in-state population. The state's abbreviation is also shown next to the in-state total.
2. For CBSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CBSA as well as the CBSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.
3. For CSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CSA as well as the CSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.