No West Virginia city with 50,000 population

The population of Charleston, West Virginia’s state capital, dropped below 50,000 for the first time since 1920, when it had 39,608.

In 1930, Charleston had 60,000 people. By 1960, it grew to more than 85,000.

It’s rare for a state capital, with all the government jobs, to lose population in any state.

Charleston remains West Virginia’s largest city.

Huntington is second-largest city at 48,638, down 140 since 2014. No. 3 Parkersburg lost 63 people for a population of 30,991. No. 4 Morgantown gained 366 for a total of 30,708.

Fairmont (18,737), Wheeling, Weirton, Fairmont, Clarksburg (16,439), Beckley and Bluefield all lost population.

West Virginia only state losing population

During the last fiscal year, West Virginia lost another 6,000-plus people. Since 1950, West Virginia has seen an 8 percent decrease in population, the only state in America to experience a loss.

Iowa, the second worst-performing state in America (behind West Virginia), had a net INCREASE of 19 percent in population. North and South Dakota had increases of 22 and 31 percent.

In the two decades following 1950, some 800,000 babies were born in West Virginia for an average of 40,000 babies per year. But from 1970 to 1990, only 540,000 babies were born, and from 1990 through 2010 only 425,000 babies were born, an average of about 21,000 babies per year (according to the U.S. Census).

Through the year 2025, West Virginia is projected to have the largest decrease in public school enrollment (by the National Center for Education Statistics). The state’s death rate exceeds its birth rate.

Half of West Virginians don’t work

West Virginia is the only state in recorded history to have less than half its civilian population in the work force.

Labor Department statistics show that West Virginia fell to 49.8% in November, from 50% in October. 

The national rate in December was 62.7%.

The records date to 1976.

Mississippi is next at 50.8%.

At 6.3%, West Virginia doesn’t have close to the worst state unemployment rate, with Mississippi, California and Rhode Island each having jobless rates above 7%, and 11 other states with unemployment rates in the 6% range that are worse.

But it’s a state where many have given up trying to find a job. At 17.6%, West Virginia has the highest percentage of working-age people on disability benefits, above the national average of 10.4%.

MAYBE COAL MINING HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT?

At 41.9, West Virginia has the fourth-highest median age.

The highest work participation rate belongs to North Dakota, in the midst of a fracking revolution that has drawn workers to the state.

State	Participation rate (%)	Unemployment rate (%)
Alabama	52.2	6
Alaska	63.4	6.6
Arizona	55.5	6.8
Arkansas	53.9	5.8
California	58	7.2
Colorado	64.9	4.1
Connecticut	61.7	6.5
Delaware	57.8	6
District of Columbia	64.5	7.4
Florida	57	5.8
Georgia	57.6	7.2
Hawaii	59.4	4
Idaho	60.4	3.9
Illinois	60.7	6.4
Indiana	60	5.7
Iowa	67.4	4.3
Kansas	65	4.3
Kentucky	54.6	6
Louisiana	57.2	6.5
Maine	60.8	5.7
Maryland	62.2	5.6
Massachusetts	61.5	5.8
Michigan	56.2	6.7
Minnesota	67.3	3.7
Mississippi	50.8	7.3
Missouri	61.1	5.6
Montana	61.3	4.3
Nebraska	68.7	3.1
Nevada	57.9	6.9
New Hampshire	66.1	4.1
New Jersey	60	6.4
New Mexico	54.2	6.4
New York	56.7	5.9
North Carolina	56.6	5.8
North Dakota	69.5	2.7
Ohio	59.8	5
Oklahoma	57.9	4.4
Oregon	57.6	7
Pennsylvania	59	5.1
Rhode Island	60.2	7.1
South Carolina	54.5	6.7
South Dakota	67	3.3
Tennessee	54.6	6.8
Texas	61.8	4.9
Utah	65.4	3.6
Vermont	65.3	4.3
Virginia	62.5	5
Washington	59.5	6.2
West Virginia	49.8	6.3
Wisconsin	64.9	5.2
Wyoming	65.2	4.5

West Virgina 47^th worst state for a woman

If you’re a woman, the only states worse than West Virginia are Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi. That’s according to Cynthia Ramnarace in iVillage.

The top five states for women: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and California. 

Kentucky, at 46^th, is just ahead of 47^th place West Virginia.

West Virginia has the lowest female college graduation rate (17.8%) in the country, which means that West Virginia women bring home smaller paychecks.

17.8% of West Virginia women live in poverty, which matches the college grad rate, and maybe isn't a coincidence. The national average is 14.5%.  

However, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck, born in Hillsboro, was the first woman to be awarded both prizes. 

Born Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker, Pearl got out of town at the age of five months. Her parents were missionaries in China who came to West Virginia so that Pearl could be born with less risk of disease that was spreading through China at the time. 

She didn’t return permanently to her birthplace, and died in Vermont after spending most of her life in China and American universities.

You can check the article out by clicking on http://www.ivillage.com/best-worst-states-for-women-ky-wv-ar-ok-ms/8-a-436881