Is WV the poorest state?

West Virginia is the fifth-poorest U.S. state, with a median household income of $51,615 and a poverty rate of 14.6%. West Virginians have the lowest level of higher education attainment in the nation, with only 23.1% of its residents holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Why is West Virginia a poor state?

The lack of an educated workforce continues to be one of the key factors hold West Virginia’s economy back.” West Virginia suffers from a resource curse, and studies show states with a heavier-than-average reliance on mining jobs are likely to have lower incomes.

What is the poorest state in America?

Poverty rates were highest in the states of Mississippi (19.58%), Louisiana (18.65%), New Mexico (18.55%), West Virginia (17.10%), Kentucky (16.61%), and Arkansas (16.08%), and they were lowest in the states of New Hampshire (7.42%), Maryland (9.02%), Utah (9.13%), Hawaii (9.26%), and Minnesota (9.33%).

Are people poor in West Virginia?

In 2021, 16.8 percent of West Virginia’s population lived below the poverty line. This was a decrease from the previous year, when about 17.1 percent of the state’s population lived below the poverty line. The poverty rate of the United States since 1990 can be accessed here.

Why are people leaving West Virginia?

People moved to West Virginia for a variety of reasons including family, lifestyle and cost of living. The main reason people are leaving West Virginia is for work. The states that were most moved to in 2021 are: Vermont South.

What are the 5 poorest US states?

These states and territories have the highest percentages of poverty in the country: Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.