West Virginia covers 24,078 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,792,147 people – with 682,651 people living in rural areas (USDA-ERS). Charleston is the state capital. The state's largest cities are Charleston, Huntington and Parkersburg. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 93.5% of the state's population is white, 3.6% is African-American, 0.8% is Asian, 0.3% is American Indian or Alaska Native, and 1.7% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

West Virginia Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 West Virginia had:

• 21 Critical Access Hospitals
• 59 Rural Health Clinics
• 254 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 10 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural West Virginia

6.6% of West Virginia residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2019). According to the Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for West Virginia residents in 2019 was $42,315, with the rural per capita income at $38,358. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural West Virginia is 17.6%, compared with 16.3% in urban areas of the state. 15.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.6% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural West Virginia is 5.7%, while in urban West Virginia, it is 4.5% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

West Virginia State Office of Rural Health
Phone: 304.356.4213
Serves as the focal point for rural health issues in West Virginia. Addresses rural healthcare needs by planning and developing policy, providing technical assistance and managing statewide coordination of rural health activities. A division of the WV Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion.
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